The Frozen Heart: Part 3
by OrangeFeels
Summary: [SPOILERS FROM PART 2] Two weeks after the marriage of Princess Anna and Kristoff, and the birth of the new Princess Neiva, something evil is afoot in Arendelle once again. After rising tensions between Arendelle and a neighboring Kingdom escalate, and otherworldly things begin occurring, it's up to the crew to band together, and put an end to it.
1. Chapter 1

I **do not** own any of the characters or settings in Disney's Frozen. This is merely a fanfic. Insert more legal stuff here.

In case you guys haven't seen my past 3 fanfics, you should know that I've decided to add a little musical bit to the first chapter, so you can read along to the music, as if it were the opening credits of a movie. I choose the songs I feel perfectly reflect the mood in the first chapter, and it feels cool to read this and listen at the same time.

So here it is, the Opening Song for The Frozen Heart: Part 3. It's a guitar cover of "Let it Go" by Sungha Jung, and it's perfect for the "new day" mood in Arendelle. I hope you like it!

(You have to type ' /' by yourself, FanFiction won't let me post the whole link. C'est la vie.)

watch?v=AAnID4RS7Vg#t=14

* * *

Disney's Frozen: The Frozen Heart

Part Three

Chapter 1

Elsa

* * *

"Just for one night, come on Anna!" Elsa begged.

"Elsa, I'm no childcare expert. I can barely keep track of Kristoff!" her Sister said, working on her second braid. It was morning time, so the sounds of the hustle and bustle of the town, and the birds singing could be heard outside.

"You're not scared are you?" Elsa teased. Anna rolled her eyes, and smiled.

"Nope, just busy."

"Busy? With what?" Elsa asked.

"You know. Princess stuff. You wouldn't understand." Anna scoffed, jokingly.

"Oh, I wouldn't understand?" Elsa laughed. Elsa paced behind her sister, who sat at a vanity on the wall. Anna's eyes followed Elsa back and forth as she applied perfume. The Queen picked up one of Anna's brushes and examined it in her hand. This had been their Mother's brush. Green with little seashells dotting the handle.

"Just one night." Elsa said quickly, putting the brush down.

"Fine. You owe me!" Anna agreed.

The girls shook hands, and Elsa collapsed into chair in the opposite corner of the room, sighing. Elsa was tired. Not just from giving birth two small weeks ago, but from taking care of her Queenly duties. Sign this one day, meet him the other, talk to this guy one day, and try not to upset this guy the next. But, Elsa's favorite part of her ruling was her address to the Kingdom that she did three times a week. There, any Villager that needed anything would come to the throne room, and ask for it. Usually it was an extra days worth of food, or a small argument that was resolved relatively easily. Sometimes it was a land war, where Farmers from the outskirts of the Kingdom disagreed on whose land was whose. Elsa and Stian usually just agreed to split it evenly between the two Farmers, but a month ago a fight had broken out. Neither one of the Farmers got the land, and it was instead made into a garden where both of their families could go to relax. Everybody thought it was a great idea.

Elsa rubbed her temples. She should have treasured sleep when she was single.

"This Queen stuff is doing a number on you, huh?" Anna asked, eyes still fixed on the mirror.

"More or less. That neighboring Kingdom- uh... What was it called?" Elsa scratched her head.

"Bergan?" Anna suggested.

"No, the other one."

"Briarvale."

"That's it." Elsa snappeed. "Briarvale keeps sending these 'notices.' They say that I need to denounce my powers as dangerous, and that I will never use them again." Elsa said, staring at her hands.

"What? Elsa, that's crazy. That's what makes you unique!" Anna said.

"You're forgetting."

"Well, one of two unique people." Anna corrected herself.

"Speaking of these unique people, where are Stian and Kristoff?" Elsa asked.

"Oh, they went out on one of those hunting expeditions. You know how it is, testosterone and all."

"Stian never _really_ liked hunting. Come to think of it, neither did Kristoff. They love animals." Elsa realized.

"Where else could they be?" Anna asked her sister, finally turning to face her. Elsa thought for a while, before she heard walking in the hallway. There was a knock on Anna's bedroom door.

"Come in." the Sisters said together. A short, stout little woman entered. Stian's Mother.

"Sorry Your Majesty-"

"Just Elsa."

"Oh, right!" she smiled. "Sorry Elsa, but the Little One has just awoken." the Woman said. Elsa's eyes lit up. She walked quickly to the west wing of the Castle, and entered her bedroom, with Anna close in tow. Elsa peeked into a tiny bassinet on the side of the bed. There, squirming in her blankets, was Neiva. Elsa smiled, and lifted her up from her bed.

"Hello." Elsa said, holding her daughter up to meet her face to face. "Good morning." she smiled.

The baby's deep blue eyes moved about the room taking everything in. Her short, platinum blonde hair stuck to her head, like the hair of newborn baby's often did. Neiva wasn't crying, but Elsa was fine with that. She'd woken up twice the night before, once because she was hungry, once because she felt like crying. Elsa fed her and Stian walked her through the halls before she finally fell back asleep. Elsa held Neiva close to her chest, and turned to face Anna.

"So, what's first today?" she asked.

"Well, you address the Village in one hour. Your schedule is then clear until after lunch. Then you have to meet with the Ambassador from the Southern Isles." Anna read off a note Stian's Mother had given her.

"The Southern Isles? What do they want?" Elsa asked.

"It's Hans' oldest brother. I've met him, he's nice."

"So was Hans." Elsa reminded her Sister.

"Yeah, yeah. Anyways, he actually came to discuss further measures with Hans. He was imprisoned for the months after the Incident before he got loose. They still don't know how he did it, but he's in custody again. He wanted both of our opinions on what they should do with him." Anna explained.

"Well, they better be ready for some harsh judgement, yeah?" Elsa asked, nudging Anna. Anna grinned.

"Yeah."

Elsa looked out the window into the Village like she often did. Children ran amok, and Peddlers and Merchants sold their wares. Elsa looked down to her dresser. She opened the drawer on the very bottom. She took an object that was wrapped in old blue cloth in her free hand. She lay her daughter down on the bed, facing up. Elsa carefully unwrapped the object. She produced a small toy sled. It's green wooden was old, but still in good condition. It had small blue and red accents and designs around it, and a small leather bound seat. Elsa held it tenderly in her hands. She held it above her daughter.

"You see? Your Father gave this to me a long time ago, before he moved. It's the only thing I had to remember him by. But now he's back. And he'll never leave us alone. Right Neiva?" Elsa asked. The baby cooed, and held her small arms up to the sled. Elsa wrapped it again, and put it back into the bottom drawer of her dresser. She lifted her child back up.

"Shall we?" Anna asked.

The two Sisters, one with child wrapped in her arms, walked side by side down to the kitchen, where they always ate breakfast together. That's the way it was always going to be. The two Sisters of Arendelle. Not shutting each other out, not ignoring each other, not hiding anything. They were inseparable.

For the first time in forever, they were truly Sisters.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Stian

* * *

"Are you sure they're around here?" Kristoff asked, pushing the shrubbery out of his way.

The two men weaved through the dense forest, each with a basket in hand. When he thought about it, Stian knew they looked odd. Two grown men walking through the forest, looking for berries with baskets in hand.

"Pretty sure. I planted these bushes a while back, and they should be ripe by now." Stian answered, stepping over a fallen tree. Stian wiped the sweat from his brow, and looked up. A few yards in front of them was a small clearing. "There it is!" Stian said, pointing. The two scrambled to the opening and fell, exhausted, into the tall grass.

"Around here anywhere?" Kristoff asked, panting. They'd been walking for about half the day, but they'd been traveling for one day so far. The trip to this forest was a days journey, so the trip together was supposed to take them two days. Stian was a bit worried leaving the Girls alone to take care of the Kingdom, but he knew his Queen could handle herself. Stian poked his head up. There, in the middle of the clearing, sat a single bush. On the bush, small red berries grew on the branches.

"Are those...?" Kristoff asked. Stian stood up and walked to the bush. He plucked a berry from the stem, and smelled it, then he placed it in his mouth. He swallowed.

"Shepherdia berries? Why Shepherdia berries?" Kristoff asked.

"They're very sour." Stian said, admiring one in his left hand, holding it between his index finger and thumb.

"Yeah. Why would we want those?" he asked.

"Until..." Stian touched the berry with his left index finger, and a thin layer of frost spread slowly over the berry. He held it out to Kristoff. "Try it."

Kristoff took the berry, put it in his mouth, and chewed. His eyes grew large.

"This is amazing!" Kristoff smiled.

"Eh?" Stian said, matching that smile.

The two filled their baskets with the berries, and began making their way back through the forest.

"Sven should be waiting for us. So Stian, what's new?" Kristoff asked.

"Small talk, really?" Stian laughed. Kristoff shrugged as he moved around a bush.

"Look, Stian, about that thing Pabbi told us about a few days ago-"

"No, Kristoff. Look, he just thinks that something is going on. Nothing is going on. I hope..." Stian said.

"But what if something _is_ happening? What if he was right, and we're all in danger?" Kristoff asked.

"I'd like to cross that bridge when I get to it, but for now I need to spend time with my family. Kristoff, if you want to tell Anna, go ahead. Just please make sure Elsa does not figure out about it. It's hard enough to have just had a child, but ruling a Kingdom and having powers that who knows when they'll act up? We're both in a lot of stress right now. That's why I brought you out here." Stian explained.

"For the shepherdia berries?" Kristoff asked.

"What? No. Elsa's favorite chocolate. Dark chocolate with shepherdia berries and honey mixed in."

"Oh right. So we're making Elsa chocolate?"

"You can help if you want, Anna too. It's just to bring tensions down for a little. Relaxation, you know?" Stian asked.

"I understand. But if something does happen Stian, I hope you've got a plan."

* * *

A few more hours of walking, and they finally reached Sven. He was still tied to the sleigh, sleeping.

"Sven, wake up buddy." Kristoff said, petting his head. The reindeer opened it's eyes, and slowly stood up. The two men boarded the sled. "Take us home, boy." Kristoff said, flicking the reins. They were off. The sun had begun to set. Things were silent.

"So tell me. What's it like being a Dad?" Kristoff asked.

"What's it like? I've only been one for two weeks, Kristoff. But I guess I'd have to say... I've never been closer to two human beings in my life. Elsa and Neiva are my girls. I have to protect them, that's why Elsa doesn't need to know about the issue we discussed with Pabbi." Stian explained.

"Elsa is very capable. She's not helpless." Kristoff reminded him.

"Yeah, I know. I just... I feel like I have a duty, you know?"

"Maybe."

"What about you and Anna?" Stian asked. Kristoff looked uncomfortable.

"We aren't planning on having Kids for a while. We talked about it. After seeing Elsa give birth, Anna wanted to keep her distance from that sort of thing." Kristoff shrugged.

"I don't blame her. You guys didn't even go on a honeymoon."

"_Honeymoon!_" Kristoff slapped his forehead.

"What?"

"I forgot the honeymoon!" he shouted.

"Ooh... That's... Not good?"

"Terrible! Where did you and Elsa go?" Kristoff said, grabbing Stian by that arms. Stian stiffened. Kristoff was a well built man, Stian on the other hand was average.

"We went to the East Islands. _Way_ south of Arendelle. It's warm there."

"How can I get there?"

"Wait, you were asking for ideas?"

"Yes!"

"America? I don't know, they're relatively new. I hear they have some cool forests." Stian suggested.

"We have forests. Somewhere warm..." Kristoff thought.

"Greece is warm."

"Greece is windy."

"Hey, if nothing works, just go to Corona! They've got some good sights, it's warm, and it's only a weeks trip away." Stian suggested again. The night sky was now a dark blue. Sven navigated through the forest with ease. They'd be back in Arendelle by morning. Kristoff was silent for a while.

"Corona?"

"Yeah, it's got these-" Stian was interrupted by a blast of air so strong, it flipped the sleigh on it's side, throwing Stian and Kristoff from the sleigh. Sven whimpered as the sleigh rolled on top of his leg. Stian heard a sickening crack from both his arm, and Sven's leg. He lay in the snow for a while, dazed. He heard something muffled.

"Qui...Get u... Stian... Get up!" his hearing cleared. He saw Kristoff above him, looking around frantically. Stian got to his feet. He looked to his left arm. It bent at a terrible angle, and he got woozy again just from looking at it.

"Kristoff..." Stian said, still dazed. Kristoff scurried to the sleigh, and lifted it off the reindeer.

"Sven! It's okay buddy, just don't move." Kristoff said, calming him down.

"Kristoff... What's-"

"Stian! You okay? Oh... Your arm."

"It's broken isn't it?" he asked. Kristoff nodded. "Dang. I've never broken a bone before." Stian was interrupted by another blast of air. This time, he saw that it had a pink tinge to it. It wasn't air.

Stian felt himself fly through the air, only to be stopped by a tree, Kristoff was flung like a ragdoll too. Sven remained unmoved. The only thing Stian heard was the sound of his own ragged breathing. Then footsteps. He raised his palm in it's direction, ready to flash freeze whatever it was.

"So you're Zenic huh?" a voice said. It was breathy, deep, and terrifying. A pair of feet with black icy shoes stepped in his line of vision. Stian looked up to see... To see...

"Elsa?" he asked.

The woman laughed. Her hair was jet black, and she wore an icy dress which was a dark purple. The dress shined with a green light, which cast an eerie shadow on the trees and snow. Her lips were an icy blue. But the thing that shocked Stian was her eyes. They were a blood red.

She would have been the spitting image of Elsa in her icy dress, if it weren't for her black and purple attire.

"Hm? No." she said. Her voice was a bit deeper than his Wife's, but it was otherwise the same. "I'm not the Snow Queen."

"She hates being called that." Kristoff struggled. The woman looked quickly to Kristoff. She approached him, and took him by the neck. She rose him above her head. Kristoff struggled for air.

"You look like you're Locus, correct?" she asked calmly.

"Kristoff. Close though." he struggled. The woman gritted her teeth. Kristoff began to struggle. Stian could see black smoke rising from his struggling body. This woman was powerful. Stian couldn't just do nothing.

He jumped to his feet, and ran as fast as he could to the woman. He grabbed her by the shoulder, and flipped her around. Surprised, she released Kristoff. Stian met her eyes. Stian held his right palm up to her. Frost began to gather around his hand. He was ready to freeze whoever this was solid. Then he looked in her blood red eyes. They _were_ Elsa's. Stian's eyes widened, and he backed up from the woman.

"Oh, how cute. Do I remind you of anybody?" she said, smoothing out her single black braid.

"You- You're-"

"No, I'm not. Go back to your beloved. Tell her you met me. Tell her I spared you. Tell her I could have killed you both without thinking twice. Tell her to prepare. I'm coming." the woman ordered.

"What- What is your name?" Stian asked, falling slowly to his knees.

"Asle. I believe that is what you call a name."

"Asle... You-"

"Leave. Before I change my mind. Looking at you now... You haven't even met the others."

"The others?" Kristoff asked. Asle looked disdainfully back at Kristoff, who was unhitching the sleigh from Sven.

"Leave me. I'm still getting used to this side." Asle said.

"Side of what?" Stian asked, limping to Kristoff and Sven.

"Reality." Asle said. And with that, she shimmered, and was gone. Where she stood, a black crescent was burned into the grass.

* * *

"We need to get back." Stian said.

"Sven's leg is broken. He can't pull anything. We'll have to walk back." Kristoff said.

"But that would add another days time to the trip. Wait, Kristoff. Didn't Elsa create Olaf and Marshmallow?" Stian asked, rubbing his newly wrapped arm. It had been about an hour since they met that Sorceress. They'd sat there in silence for what felt like forever, before they started fixing their injuries.

"Yes. Why?"

"Their alive, right?"

"Yes..?"

Stian clenched his right hand into a fist. He then released the fist, and and waved his open hand in front of him. A small flurry of snow gathered, and formed a four legged animal. Ice formed hooves and a head. It's eyes glowed blue in the night. It was a snowy horse. Stian fell to his knees again, exhausted. Elsa's powers were definitely different from his. He wanted to curl up and go to sleep.

"A horse?" Kristoff asked. He slowly approached it, and rubbed its muzzle. The horse whinnied with joy. Kristoff laughed. "What's its name?" he asked. Stian didn't know!

"Tired." he moaned.

"Tired. Hm, that's a new one. Hey Tired!" Kristoff said. He hooked Tired up to the reins of the sleigh, and helped Sven into the back. Stian shakily rose to his feet, and took his place in the left seat of the sled. Kristoff took the reins, and whipped them. Stian was surprised by how fast the horse moved, at least twice as fast as Sven.

"You have to tell Elsa now." Kristoff said.

"Tell her... About... Asle?" Stian yawned.

Kristoff nodded, "She has some weird powers. Maybe a Goddess? We've met deities before."

"She wasn't a Goddess. You can tell. Her eyes... They were Elsa's."

"Stian, listen, this is what Pabbi was telling us about."

"She mentioned others. Okay." Stian agreed.

"I'll tell her. We lock down Arendelle. Nobody in, nobody out."

"Stian, hold on-"

"Kristoff, listen to me. I know locking the Kingdom down worries you. How else do we keep Asle and these... Others out?" Stian asked.

"We're not shutting down Arendelle. We'll monitor things closer, but if there was anything that would upset Anna and Elsa, it would be locked gates. We'll be fine. We just need to make sure we're ready, like Asle said." Kristoff said, putting his hand on Stian's shoulder.

"Okay... Okay. Thanks Kristoff. You know you're the closest thing I've ever had to a brother?" Stian asked.

"What?" Kristoff smiled. "You're the closest thing I've ever had to a brother too, I guess." Kristoff put his arm around Stian, and gave him a brotherly squeeze. Stian flinched.

"Sorry." Kristoff apologized.

"It's fine. Just... Give me a minute." Stian said, yawning. Tomorrow they'd be back in Arendelle. He'd be back with Elsa, Neiva, Anna and even Olaf. He missed them. But what about Asle? How would Elsa take that news? The Kingdom was threatened once again. He'd have to find a way to make her understand. He didn't want to lose her.

Stian eventually gave into the temptation, and fell into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Anna

* * *

Anna rocked her niece in her bassinet. The child cried softly.

"I know, I know. Your mommy will be right back... Right-" Anna yawned, "Back..." She felt her eyelids grow heavy. She never knew taking care of a baby could be so tiring. Neiva calmed down, and slowly fell asleep. Anna yawned again, and lay on her back on Elsa's bed. It _was_ cozy...

"Anna?" came a voice.

"Yeah, hm?" Anna said loudly, snapping to attention. Her hair was a bit out of place, and the sun had began to set on the horizon. She'd fallen asleep. Stian stood over Neiva's bassinet, rocking it.

"Stian! You- you're back! Where's Kristoff?" Anna asked, fixing her hair.

"Downstairs. I hope you can handle another three hours with Neiva without falling asleep." Stian said.

"Three hours? Oh! Your date! That's tonight? How long was I out?" Anna asked. Stian nodded. "Well then, of course! As long as Kristoff's with me, we can take care of Neiva, sure! You two have fun." Anna said.

"Four hours. Neiva woke up a while ago, but we've tended to her." Stian pulled up the sleeves on his white shirt. He didn't look like a King when he was dressed like this, no. He looked like a baker. Anna vaguely remembered when he'd bring her and Elsa special bread, and they'd eat it in the garden.

"You just let me sleep?" Anna asked.

"You looked tired."

"Fair enough."

"Three hours." Stian said, making sure Anna understood.

"Three hours." Anna repeated.

"Alright... Elsa already fed her, and she should just go back to sleep soon. If you need us we'll be on the roof and... Around... The Kingdom." Stian explained.

Anna scoffed, "Don't sweat it, Stian! Look, I have this all under control. You two have fun! You deserve a break."

"Thanks, Anna." Stian said, hugging her. "Alright. Well, see you in three hours!" Stian said, closing the bedroom door behind him.

"Three... Hours." Anna said slowly. She looked down at the baby to her right.

* * *

"Kristoff, _she was right here_!" Anna panicked, pointing at the bassinet.

"Who could have moved her?" Kristoff said, moving furniture aside, as if the two week old had hidden from them.

"Where did you see her last?" Anna asked.

"I don't know! It's only been half an hour since Stian and Elsa left, and we've already lost their daughter."

"This one?" came a voice. The bedroom doors swung open to reveal a short snowman, cradling blankets in his arms.

"Olaf!" Anna said, seizing Neiva from him. "What- where- why did you take Neiva?" she asked.

"She looked bored, so we went out in the garden. She loves it there!" Olaf cooed.

"Look, next time, just make sure you run this by us next time you-" Kristoff stopped. His gaze shifted toward the window. The borealis outside shown a beautiful green and red.

"Olaf, can you give us a minute?" Kristoff asked.

"Oh? Okay." Olaf said, leaving the bedroom. Kristoff could hear Olaf slowly counting silently outside.

"Anna, listen... There's something I need to tell you." Kristoff said, taking a seat in the corner of the room. Anna sat at Elsa's mirror, holding Neiva.

"What is it?" she asked, concerned.

"Have you noticed the borealis lately?" he asked.

"Yeah! It looks so cool. I've never seen it so red before. Come to think of it... I've never seen it red before."

"That's the thing. I, well, Stian and I both talked with Pabbi a few nights ago-"

"Pabbi was here? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Anna, it wasn't exactly great news. The borealis is talked in the old legends about being a bridge between worlds."

"Yeah, but come on Kristoff-" Anna tried to argue.

"Anna, we met Odin. These may be more than just legends. Anyways, the green represents balance. At least, that's what I was taught by Pabbi growing up. Do you know what red means?" Kristoff asked. Anna thought for a while, rocking the little Princess.

"Something is unbalanced?" she guessed.

Kristoff nodded, "Something... Somebody has come through."

"Through... The aurora?"

"Bulda told me to think of it like a gate. If you can find the key, you can go through. Somebody on the other side found the key."

"What are you trying to say, Kristoff? Who found the key?" Anna asked.

"Somebody named Asle."

"Asle?"

"Listen, Anna. We don't have anything to fear... Yet. She's strong, though." Kristoff explained.

"Wait, how do you know all this?" Anna asked.

"We ran into her in the woods. She broke Stian's arm, and Sven's leg with her magic." Kristoff said.

"But Stian looked fine-"

"That's a different story. Listen, she has some sort of power-"

"Ice?" Anna asked.

"No, something darker. She stared into my eyes, and it felt like my whole resolve melted. I was a terrified boy. I couldn't move I couldn't fight..."

"Kristoff, what did she do to you?" Anna asked.

"Nothing... She just shook me up a little. But Anna... She's coming here."

"Here?"

"To Arendelle." Kristoff confirmed.

"Why?" Anna asked, now suddenly scared. If this person was as strong as Kristoff made her out to be, she could be a challenge even to Elsa and Stian.

"I don't know. She mentioned... Others."

"Others?"

"We need to talk to Pabbi. We need to see what he knows. Anna, just don't panic, okay? Everything is still under control. Plus, if she does show up, Elsa and Stian could stop her easily. Right?"

"Yeah..." Anna said, unsure. The room was silent for a while.

"So!" Kristoff said, breaking the silence, "That's that. What now?"

"I don't know, you kinda just killed the mood." Anna joked.

"Classic Kristoff!" Olaf said, bounding into the room once again. This gave Anna an idea.

"You said Neiva loved the garden, right?" Anna asked Olaf.

"Sure! She wouldn't stop smiling when we were down there!" Olaf answered.

"To the garden!" Anna said, standing up. Kristoff took her hand, and the four of them began their way downstairs to the outdoor garden. Anna knew in the back of her mind that some evil witch was coming to destroy Arendelle, but she wanted to stay positive. She wanted to spend time her niece, her husband, and her best friend. They reached the garden, and Anna stole another glimpse back up at the borealis.

Then she got an idea.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey everybody? How ya liking the story so far? Thank you guys for going through the trouble to read my ramblings, truly and sincerely. If you were wondering, here is my inspiration for Asle, .

Anyways, shall we hop right in?

* * *

Chapter 4

Kristoff

* * *

Several Hours Earlier...

* * *

Kristoff was reluctant to let Stian sleep, but he figured he needed it. The sleigh lurched this way and that, but the speed of Tired was impressive. They weaved in an out of trees, over hills, and through small valleys. Kristoff realized he wasn't in control, but that didn't bother him. He let the reins fall to his lap. He wondered where Tired was taking them, but for some odd reason he trusted the frozen horse. He leaned back, and put his hat over his face.

He awoke when the sleigh came to a halt. Kristoff put his hat back on, and rubbed his eyes. There were ridges of rock all around them, and the ground was covered in a thin layer of moss. They were in the Valley of the Living Rock.

"Tired, why did you bring us here?" Kristoff asked. Stian was still asleep to his right, as was Sven in the back of the sleigh.

"I brought him here." Pabbi said, petting the icy steed. He sat a few yards from Kristoff, perched on a ridge of stone.

"Pabbi? Pabbi! Listen," Kristoff started to say. Pabbi hushed him. He hopped down from his perch, and slowly made his way towards the sleigh. Kristoff watched as Pabbi put his hand to Stian's arm. A dim green light illuminated from his hand, and flowed into Stian's arm. Kristoff could see the light spreading through Stian's bone, and slowly repairing it. Stian sighed in his sleep, and smiled. Sven was next, as Pabbi healed him too.

"Pabbi... Thanks." Kristoff said.

"I know what happened." he said, grimly. Kristoff frowned.

"Pabbi, you were right. You were right all along."

"We are all in danger. Kristoff, you need to get back to Arendelle. Stian and Sven, too."

"Is there any way to stop her, hm?" Kristoff asked, demanding an answer.

"Kristoff, these things aren't simply solved. You need- never mind." Pabbi shook his head, and turned his back to Kristoff.

"No, tell me!" Kristoff demanded. Pabbi stopped.

"She mentioned others, did she not?" Pabbi asked. Kristoff nodded.

"Yeah, she did."

"There are others, Kristoff." Pabbi confirmed.

"Others? Like Asle?" Kristoff panicked.

Pabbi nodded, "Like Asle..." he paced. "Also like Elsa, and like Stian."

"Wait... Powers? People with powers? There are others?" Kristoff asked.

"There are. Kristoff, do you know what ancient elements represent the world as a whole?" Pabbi asked. Kristoff was familiar with the stories that Cliff and Bulda told him when he was little. When the world was created, there were five elements that were present in the fiber of the world. These elements shaped mountains, oceans, and valleys.

"There's... Fire... Stone, Energy... Ice... And one more." Kristoff racked his brain.

"Darkness." Stian finished. He shakily stood up from the sleigh.

"Correct." Pabbi said. Stian stood next to Kristoff, and slowly removed the bandages from his arm. He extended it, and flexed it. He clenched his hand into a fist, and moved it all about.

"So... People have domain over these elements?" Kristoff asked.

"Almost. They're like... An ambassador for the planet. Certain Gods carry influence of these elements, and bestow them upon humans." Pabbi explained.

"Hodur?" Stian asked. Pabbi nodded again.

"He was touched by ice that was present at the beginning of the world. But these powers would kill an ordinary human. It takes two, incredibly strong willed people to wield this power. And he gave you and Elsa his abilities. You recently stripped him of his powers though, didn't you?" Pabbi asked Stian.

"Well... I had help."

"You and Elsa are the soul carriers of this gift then," Pabbi said. Kristoff saw Stian cringe when Pabbi called it a gift. "There are others, though. And one is near. _Very_ near."

"You said darkness is an element. I think we can all agree that Asle has dominion over this, right?" Kristoff asked. The other two shrugged, and nodded in agreement. "If Asle is one of those who controls darkness, who's the other one? You said there's two."

"I'm afraid I don't know. The only humans I know who have these powers are Stian, Elsa and Asle. More will present themselves. As I was saying, there is a way to stop Asle." Pabbi said, scratching his beard.

"So what, do we need to find these people?" Stian asked.

"Precisely."

"Really?" Stian looked at Kristoff. "That was a guess." he grinned. Kristoff couldn't help but do the same. Stian had this sort of... Eternal free spirit around him. He always had something to say, and he always had a plan. He could see why Elsa cared for him so much.

"You have to find the others. Fire, stone, energy... All of them." Pabbi said.

"What about the second wielder of darkness?" Kristoff said.

"Well, the spirit is free. We all have free will. The other wielder of darkness may or may not be working toward the same goals as Asle. He may be willing to help. But do not, I repeat, _Do not_ let Asle accomplish what she is attempting to." Pabbi begged.

"What? What is she planning?" Stian asked.

"I'm afraid that's all I know. You need to find the others. Get them to work together. If you do, then when Asle arrives in Arendelle, you will be ready. I hope."

"You hope?" Kristoff asked.

"You both need to get back to the Kingdom." Pabbi said.

"You said one of the wielders is close. How close?" Kristoff asked.

"Kristoff?" he heard Stian call. Kristoff spun around. Sven was bright eyed, and harnessed to the sleigh. "We need to go."

Kristoff shrugged, and looked back to Pabbi. "What do we do when Asle arrives?"

"Survive."

That didn't make him feel any better. Kristoff climbed into the sleigh, and took the reigns. He looked back down at the lone Troll.

"Thanks, Gran Pabbi." Kristoff said.

"Be safe, Kristoff." Pabbi said.

Kristoff flicked the reins, and the trio sped away towards Arendelle.

Towards their wives, towards their Kingdom, and towards what could turn out to be the final days of their lives.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Elsa

* * *

"-it's really a once in a lifetime thing." Elsa said, weaving her arm through Stian's, and locking hands with him. She spoke about the aurora, which blazed over their heads. Elsa had never seen it so intense in her life. She thought it was beautiful. They sat on a blanket on the roof of the Castle, like they had that night long ago. They watched the full moon slowly dip behind the mountains in the distance. They had a basket of assorted foods, just in case they got hungry. This is what Elsa needed. A quiet, peaceful break from being Queen Elsa of Arendelle. With Stian, she was just Elsa.

"Yeah. It sure is." Stian said, gazing up at the borealis. He blinked a few times, and looked back to Elsa. "How long has it been now, since we became friends?"

Elsa thought. Hmm, that was a hard one. She was five when she met Stian. She was now twenty two, as was he.

"Seventeen years, I guess." Elsa said.

"Seventeen years. Lets go through this. We met when we were five-"

"You gave me that toy sled."

"Yep. When you were... Eight? That was when they shut the gates, and when I left..." Stian said.

"Yeah..." Elsa said.

"Thirteen years later, there was the _accident_." Stian recounted. Elsa laughed.

"Oh, shut up." she said, jokingly hitting Stian on the arm. "A girl goes and freezes a kingdom, and suddenly your Sister's fiancee wants to overthrow your throne. Stian, that's a chore."

"I know, I know." Stian smiled. Elsa put her head on Stian's shoulder. She felt him sigh.

"Elsa... There's... Something I need to tell you." he said.

"Hm?"

He didn't say anything for a while, but then he moved his hand behind him. He then presented a small wooden box to Elsa. On the top was a crocus, the seal of Arendelle. Elsa held her breath, and opened the box. Her eyes lit up. Inside, lined up, were twelve small chocolates. They were round and dark, with white glaze ribboned over the top.

"Stian, this is..."

"Try one." he said.

Elsa followed his instructions, and tasted one of the chocolates. The flavor was unlike anything she'd ever tasted before... Except once.

"Is this-?"

"Yep."

"Stian, the last time we made chocolate together was thirteen years ago! You remembered the recipe all this time?" Elsa asked.

"I never really forgot. I knew you loved them." he admitted.

"Thank you." Elsa kissed him on the cheek, and returned her head to his shoulder. The night was brisk not too cold, though. Elsa looked out over the fjord, and saw houses lit up. Families sat down to eat dinner at this time, and Elsa could sure smell it. It wasn't bad at all, a medley of different meats, stews, and pastries. It made her so hungry, she reached down and ate another chocolate.

"You know Stian? I didn't think my life could get any better. After thawing Arendelle, and knowing Anna was alright, aside from my powers, everything was going great for me."

"Then I showed up."

Elsa laughed, "Then you showed up." They gazed into each others eyes. His were blue. Like, insanely blue. Just like her's, and just like Neiva's. "You turned my whole life upside down. Stian, I hadn't seen you in _years_. Then here you were showing up the day I'm supposed to choose a suitor? Stian, you were my top pick the second I saw you. It sounds..." Elsa laughed, "Weird when I say it now but... I guess I've always loved you." Stian brushed a loose hair out of Elsa's face.

"I've always loved you too, Elsa. When I was in Corona, every year on your birthday I'd make you a cake. It'd be blue... It would have the tiny toy sled on it. It'd be your favorite flavor, chocolate."

"How come you don't do that now?" Elsa asked, grinning.

"I'm no good at cooking anymore, Elsa."

"You made these chocolates, though. Didn't you?" she asked.

"Yeah..."

"It's weird to think how fast my life has changed. A year and a half ago I was alone in my room _terrified_ of my powers. Now, thanks to You and Anna... I'm not scared anymore." Elsa said, gazing at her hands.

"Aw, I was just there for moral support." Stian scoffed.

"Same thing for when I had Neiva too, hm?" Elsa raised her eyebrow. Stian laughed uncomfortably. "I saw your face! You were in more mental distress than I was!" Elsa laughed.

"Some people get nervous, okay?" Stian chuckled.

"Even the great King Stian of Arendelle?" Elsa asked. Stian wrapped Elsa in his arms. He looked in her eyes, as their foreheads touched.

"Everybody has their quirks." Stian whispered.

"Everybody?" Elsa whispered back.

"You're... The smartest person I've ever met, Elsa. You're... Beautiful, wise, and you're not scared of any challenge. You'll face anything head on and with so much confidence that others understand why they call you 'Queen.' Your laugh is the cutest thing I've ever heard, and I love it when you jump for joy when you figure out what Anna's doing that day. You walk into a room, and everything is suddenly... Right."

"Aw, you're just being sappy." Elsa said.

"I love you, Elsa." Stian whispered, as he cupped her cheek. He slowly brought his face down to hers.

"I love you too, Stian." Elsa said.

They kissed.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Anna

* * *

She wasn't expecting any visitors. To her knowledge, neither was Elsa. But there she stood, battered and cold. Anna had been in the garden with Kristoff, Neiva, Sven, and Olaf when Kai told her somebody was at the gates asking for Princess Anna. Anna told Kai to send her to the throne room, thinking it was a villager. Instead of a concerned villager like Anna had thought, it was a ragged young girl.

Anna and Kristoff entered the throne room, where the girl waited.

"Um, hello?" Anna asked. The girl wore old clothes, a sort of patchwork skirt with a work shirt. Her hair was messy and dirty, but her eyes shown an intense orange.

"You're Princess Anna, correct?" she asked. Her voice sounded tired, but alert at the same time. Anna couldn't understand weather she was ready for a fight, or for a nap.

"Yes..."

"My name is Malva. I've come requesting your assistance." the girl bowed. Malva couldn't be more than fifteen years old, judging by her looks. Anna was confused.

"My help?" she asked.

"Something terrible his happening. The Kingdom where I live, Briarvale-"

"Briarvale? Elsa was talking about that place this morning." Anna whispered to Kristoff. He nodded.

"The General of my Kingdom has... Put an order into affect." she said.

"What kind of order?" Anna asked.

"He's mobilized troops to surround Arendelle. He believes you are a threat." Malva spoke. Anna let these words sink in for a second, then shook her head.

"No, we've been on good terms with Briarvale for years. He wouldn't-"

"My Lady, he already has. They will arrive in four days time!"

"How did you get here so fast? Why would you warn us?" Kristoff asked, rocking a now sleeping Neiva in his arms.

"Because I know Princess Anna can help us." she said.

"Us?" Anna asked.

Malva held out her palm, as if she was holding something. Anna stared for a while when there was nothing, but then something happened. Suddenly, a small flicker of sparks shot from her palm. The sparks faded, leaving a tiny flame dancing in her hand. Malva waved her other arm, and Anna felt an intense heat fill the room. Tiny wisps of flame leapt from Malva's arm and hand.

Anna was speechless.

Malva looked at the Princess with pleading eyes. "We know you can help us, Your Majesty. You have domain over ice."

Anna shook her head, "You've got me mistaken with my Sister. What did you just do? What was that?"

"I thought you were familiar with elemental powers?" Malva asked.

"Yeah, with ice. Are you saying... You have powers too?" Anna asked.

Malva nodded, "Domain over fire." Anna heard Kristoff swallow.

"What's the matter?" Anna asked.

"You said 'us.' What do you mean? Are there more of you?" Kristoff asked quickly.

"There should be..." Malva counted in her head, "Eight of us. Two of us are present. I guess I was mistaken, though. I don't keep up with news, and-"

"It's fine, it's fine. I'll go get Elsa, and we can talk about this." Anna said.

"Your Sister?" Malva asked.

"Yes." Anna answered. She pulled Kristoff into the hallway, private from Malva.

"Kristoff, what did she mean there's more of them? What about this... Asle you told me about?" Anna whispered.

"She must be one of them. There's a circle of elements, Anna. Pabbi told me that each one element is too strong for a single human to wield. That's why there are two. Four elements, eight magical people." Kristoff reasoned.

"If Elsa is one of them, then... Stian must be the other." Anna concluded.

"If there is two people for each element, that means Asle may have help." Kristoff said.

"And Briarvale. What does she mean they mobilized troops?" Anna asked.

"I don't know. What do you want to do with her? She obviously has domain over fire, we can't just kick her out." Kristoff said.

"We'll let her stay in the inn for tonight. Tomorrow we'll have some questions for her."

"Okay." Kristoff agreed.

"Not a word of this to Elsa or Stian, got it?" Anna asked.

"What? They need to know, Arendelle may be under attack!"

"We'll fill them in at a meeting with Malva tomorrow. Until then, act like nothing has happened, okay?" Anna asked. Kristoff looked unconvinced. "Kristoff please? For me?" Anna asked, batting her lashes.

Kristoff sighed, "Fine. For you." he kissed her on the cheek, and led her back into the throne room where Malva was waiting.

"We have decided to allow you to sleep at the inn for tonight. We will all meet with Elsa tomorrow. Until then... Clean yourself up." Anna said.

"Yes! Thank you, My Lady! I'm sorry, my family isn't very well off and-"

"It's fine, I didn't mean it like that. Be here tomorrow at eleven. We'll meet with Elsa and discuss moving foreword with this... Issue." Anna said. Malva curtsied awkwardly, and excused herself from the throne room.

* * *

Anna collapsed into her Sister's throne.

"Glad that's over." Anna said.

"Glad what's over?" asked a voice. The happy couple, Elsa and Stian, walked hand in hand into the throne room. "Kai told us you were down here." Stian said.

"What? Nothing, just... Somebody needed to see me." Anna said.

"What for?" Elsa asked.

"Just... Stuff. You know, royal stuff." Kristoff intervened.

"Royal... Stuff." Elsa repeated. Her eyes lit up when she noticed Neiva in Kristoff's arms.

"How was your guys' night?" Stian asked.

"Quiet. Very quiet." Anna smiled her best fake smile. Elsa looked at her suspiciously as she approached Kristoff for her child. Kristoff gingerly handed the baby to her Mother. Elsa adjusted Neiva's blankets a bit, then returned to Stian's side.

"And boring!" Kristoff added, "Neiva slept the whole time. Well, except when we were in the garden."

"Kristoff!" Anna whispered.

"You brought her to the garden? That's great, Kristoff. I hope she had as much fun there as we did tonight." Stian said. Anna sighed when she found Stian and Elsa to be okay with it.

"What did you guys do?" Anna asked.

"Talked. Sat. Relaxed." Elsa said.

"Sounds fun."

"Well we're going to be off to bed, you two! Have a good night." Kristoff said, as he took Anna's hand. Anna said goodbye to her sister and Stian, and she and Kristoff walked hand in hand back to her room. Anna went into the washroom, unbraided her hair, and slipped into her nightgown. Kristoff changed into his nightwear in the other room. Even though they were married, Anna realized that they hadn't been that... Intimate. She knew Elsa and Stian had a child, and just thinking about what caused that to happen made her want to vomit, but there was something sweet about it. Something... Natural.

Anna tiptoed into bed, where Kristoff was waiting for her. He put his arm around her waist, and the two stared at each other. Kristoff's eyes were so brown, they almost glowed orange in the darkness. Alright. Anna was taking this upon herself. She sat up in bed.

"Hey Kristoff, wanna dance?" Anna asked. Kristoff sat up in bed as well. His toned, muscular body made Anna shiver.

"What?" he asked. "Dance"

"Yep."

"What are you saying?"

"_I'm saying_, let's go down to the ballroom and dance." Anna said, taking his hand.

"Anna, it's almost the middle of the night-"

"Yep!" She smiled, pulling him out of bed. She raced through the hallways, with Kristoff in tow until the doors of the ballroom flew open.

"Anna, there's no music." Kristoff said. "And I don't dance..."

"Here," Anna said. She placed his hand on her hip, and took his other one in her hand. She lead them through the ballroom, twirling and twisting this way and that. Kristoff stumbled a few times, but Anna thought he was a natural. She hummed a slow, melodic tune as they danced through the hallway. Anna was having the time of her life. And the night had only just begun.


	7. Chapter 7

I recommend listening to this song while reading the chapter. I like it, it adds more immersion. It's what I'd like to hear if this was a movie. If you don't want to, that's fine. It's not required. I just like it, it feels right. Kudo's to Jonathan Sears.

/watch?v=J90TtxphZek

* * *

Chapter 7

Stian

* * *

He awoke in the middle of the night to the joyous sound of a baby crying.

"I got her last time." Elsa moaned, pulling her pillow over her head.

Stian opened his eyes, and scratched his face. There were small traces of stubble. He'd have to take care of that in the morning. A platinum blonde beard never looked good. He swung his legs out from the bed, and slowly stood up. He threw an old shirt on, and went to his daughter's bassinet.

"Hey, hey, hey. It's okay." he whispered, as he gingerly took Neiva in his arms. He walked the hallways with her, as he often did. Rocking her back and forth and humming the song his wife taught him when they first got married. He looked out the window at the serene night. He made sure not to look at the aurora, as that would just make him nervous. Neiva was down to just a whimper. Stian went to the banquet hall. It stood empty. He made his way down to the throne room, and found it empty, like most of the castle. He could hear the blood in his ears through all the silence. He looked down, and his daughter slept peacefully in his arms. He sighed, and headed back up to his bedroom.

He placed Neiva back in her bassinet, and peered out the window again. A small layer of frost was beginning to form on the window, and Stian took comfort in knowing that it was not he who caused it. He turned to Elsa, who slept soundly once again. Her hair sprawled out over her pillow. For a regal, beautiful, graceful Queen, she wasn't the most graceful sleeper. Stian could hear her quietly snore. He lay down in bed again, and waited for morning to come.

* * *

It did, and loudly.

"Stian, Elsa! Get up, get up, get up!" Anna chimed. The couple reacted in the exact same way at the exact same time. They groaned, rolled over, and covered their heads with the blankets. Stian felt Anna leap onto the bed, and begin to shake Elsa awake.

"Come on, get you clothes on! Get ready! There's a big day ahead of us!" she sang. Elsa sat up, her blonde hair falling past her shoulders.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Elsa yawned.

"It's a new day. What's not to be happy about? Stian, get up!" Anna said, yanking the covers off the bed completely. He shivered, and curled into a ball. He didn't want to get up.

"I could get Sven to give you a good morning's kiss..." Anna said.

"What's on the schedule for today?" Stian said, hopping out of bed. He realized his legs were weak, as were his arms. He hadn't done any heavy work to feel sore like this. He was also insanely hungry. Why?

"Meeting at eleven with a... Friend." Anna said.

"A friend? What kind of friend?" Elsa asked, sitting down at her mirror.

"Oh, you guys haven't met her. You'd get along well, you're a lot alike." Anna said, alluding to something.

"What do you mean?" Stian asked.

"It's ten right now. Get ready you two!" Anna said, waving, as she left the room.

Elsa combed her hair at her mirror.

"What do you think she meant by that?" she asked.

"Who knows? I'll be downstairs in the kitchen." Stian said, pulling on his boots.

"See you in a few." Elsa waved.

Stain couldn't help but scarf down five bowls of sweetened grain.

"Slow down Stian, it's not going anywhere." Kristoff said.

"Sorry. I'm just... I don't know... I woke up this morning feeling drained. Like something is... Counterbalancing me? I don't know." Stian said, emptying another four spoonfuls into his mouth.

"I'm starved! Where'd you get that, Stian?." Elsa asked, barging into the dining hall followed by Anna. Stian pointed, mouth still full of oatmeal. Elsa rushed into the kitchen, and returned with three bowls of oatmeal, a cup of tea, two biscuits, and an apple. Stian loved a girl who wasn't afraid to stuff her face. And that's exactly what she did.

Anna and Kristoff stared at the couple awkwardly as they devoured their breakfast. They whispered something to each other.

Stian swallowed, "What?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing. Just... Stuff." Kristoff said. Anna elbowed him in the stomach.

"Just discussing what we want for breakfast." Anna said.

"I recommend the oatmeal." Elsa said, finishing off her first bowl.

"Yeah... Kristoff, _let's go get some oatmeal in the other room." _Anna said through her teeth.

"Good idea. Be right back!" Kristoff said. Elsa and Stian shrugged, and went back to their meals. Anna and Kristoff returned shortly.

"Alright, guys! Enough food, we have a meeting to attend!" Anna clapped her hands.

"The meeting isn't for another... Thirty minutes. We have time." Stian said, trying to steal a roll from Elsa. The Queen slapped his hand, and took a big bite out of the roll to make Stian jealous.

Ten minutes later, the couple was finished.

"Can we go to the meeting now?" Anna asked. Elsa leaned back in her chair.

"Sure. Carry me." she motioned to Stian. They all laughed. They got up, and walked to the meeting room. There was a small model of Arendelle sitting on a table. Maps of the surrounding nations, Gothenburg, Norway, Briarvale, Bergan, and Corona hung from the walls. Each of the four, Elsa, Anna, Stian, and Kristoff all took seats around the table. Silence.

"So... Who is this friend of yours?" Elsa asked.

"She's ah..." Anna tried.

"She came and visited us last night. She's special, let me tell you." Kristoff said. Elsa and Stian looked at each other, confused.

"She's different." Anna said sternly.

"What do you mean?" Stian asked.

"Your Majesties, your Guest has arrived early." Kai said, peeking through the door.

"Send her in." Elsa said.

They waited there in silence for a few minutes, before the door opened slowly. A girl, probably fifteen, entered. Her hair was about the same color as Anna's, strawberry blonde, and she wore casual wear that people often did in Arendelle.

"Hello..." Elsa said. "Come in, come in!" she motioned. The girl entered, and sat across from the four.

"You are Queen Elsa?" the girl asked.

"Yes."

"I am Malva. I'm sorry. I wish I came with better news." she said.

"What? Better news?" Stian asked. Malva looked at Stian, and her eyes lit up.

"This is your husband?" she asked Elsa.

"Yes, the King."

"I'm Stian. Listen what-"

"You must be the other one!" Malva interrupted. Stian saw Kristoff and Anna shrink in their seats.

"Other what?" Stian asked.

Malva raised an open hand, and slowly cupped it. Tiny sparks and red whisps shot from her hand. Stian jumped in his chair.

"Fire?" Elsa asked. Malva nodded.

"And you are ice. You two, correct?" Malva asked. They _were_ ice? Oh no. Stian knew exactly what she meant.

"Malva, why did you come here?" Stian asked.

"Oh, yes. Troops were mobilized against Arendelle six days ago." Malva confessed.

"What?" Elsa and Stian asked at the same time. They were shocked.

"Your Majesties, it's nothing to be concerned about. I came here to see the Queen. The Queen and I could stop this. Now that I know there are three of us, this should be easy." Malva said.

"What should be easy?" Kristoff asked.

"Fighting back."

"What? Malva, no! We're not going to war, what are you suggesting?" Elsa asked.

"Your Majesty-"

"Elsa."

"Elsa, this is already happening. Unless you can resolve this peacefully, I don't see any other way." Malva said.

"There is always another way." Elsa said.

"Malva, I saw you just command fire. Where did you learn that?" Stian asked.

"I was very young... Some man blessed me, and the next morning I woke up sick. Once I got over the sickness, I could do this." Malva said, waving her arms. A small column of fire blazed between her arms, and it quickly went out.

"There are others with powers like us?" Elsa whispered to Stian.

"Have you ever heard of anybody named... Asle?" Stian asked. Malva pondered.

"I'm sorry, I have not. Why?" she asked.

"Nothing, just-" Stian looked at Kristoff. He nodded. "We're in more trouble than we thought." Stian said. Elsa and Anna reeled at this news.

"What do you mean?" Anna asked.

"He means..." Kristoff said, "A war on two fronts."


	8. Chapter 8

A short, feelsy chapter for Elsa. I thought I'd delve into her background more, and also explore the effects the events of the movie took on her. Nobody almost kills their sister twice, and gets away unscathed.

Anyway, **keep leaving those reviews!** I read each and every one, and try to take all of them into account when working on this. Thank you, and read on.

* * *

Chapter 8

Elsa

The proof she had needed was right in front of her the whole time. Stian had also been cursed by those Elves, and now they wanted something from them. Why else would they attack two travelers in the night? Elsa had read about mythical creatures, and Elves being one of them. It said they were peaceful, and even had parties with the Trolls from time to time. But they're numbers were going down. Way down. And that book had been written hundreds of years ago. She wouldn't be surprised if the Elves that attacked them were the last remaining of their kind.

Elsa was plagued by bad dreams that night. Repeating sequences of herself freezing Anna's head, then heart, and then nearly killing those two soldiers. The Elf attack didn't make things any better. The Ballroom. It was nighttime, and it was beautiful. The echo of childish laughter rang in her ears. She saw herself, playing with Anna. Younger, and more carefree. Then her sister started jumping. Higher and higher into the air, making Elsa catch her with snow piles. It had started off fun. Then it got scary. Elsa tried to look away, but she just couldn't. Ice struck Anna right in the head. She watched her younger self panic, and cry. She felt herself start to panic and cry. Then her dream shifted. She was there, in her Ice Castle. She saw Anna. Her sister had trusted her, and there she went, shattering that trust and nearly killing her. Then the soldiers. She'd been thinking a mile a minute then. And then she'd lost it. She tried, wanted even, to kill the man, by pushing him off the balcony. Then she saw them. The Elves. Their eyes, shining white in the darkness. She would have died if not for Stian. But the Elves would be back. They would be back…

"Elsa, wake up!" said Stian. He was shaking her shoulder, looking conceded.

"What?" she asked, tiredly. The Queen noticed she was drenched in sweat, and her ears were ringing.

"What's wrong?" Stian asked. The light from a lantern showed a side of him she'd never seen before. He looked scared, conceded, but prepared all at the same time. She probably looked like a blubbering baby. And that's all she did.

Elsa started to speak, but all that came out were sobs. She wrapped her arms around Stian, needing all the comfort she could get. Elsa sat there for a while, crying hysterically into Stian's shoulder. It seemed like forever before she could get a word out.

"I'm sorry, I'm just-" the crying overcame her again.

"Listen, Elsa, I'm not going to pretend I know what you've been through. Your life has been full of downs. But it's been full of ups, too." he said. Elsa continued to cry, quieter now. "Just look at your sister. After all you've been through you still have her. And Kristoff, and Olaf too. And me. You still have a family." he said.

She stopped sobbing long enough to explain to Stian. "I was… All until four months ago was completely isolated. I was scared of everything. Especially," she sniffed, "Especially myself."

"That's why I needed to find you. Elsa, my powers are out of control. You may not notice the occasional frost here or there… But when I'm alone… Things get bad." Stian's voice broke. Elsa hugged back this time. "That's why we need to stick together. When I'm around you… Things go alright." he said.

The Queen sighed, and released her hold. She smiled at him, through wet eyes and a quivering smile.

She kissed him.

Why not? They've both hit their lowest low. Her breakdowns, and his powers. They were a wreck. But somehow, they had to complete this journey to the North Mountain, find Hans, and bring him back to Arendelle, somehow, to prove Stian's innocence. Then, heaven forbid, she had to choose a husband. This was not going to be an easy task.

"This isn't going to be easy, is it?" she asked.

"Afraid not." Stain said. He stood up from the bed, and proceeded back to his bench. They had another three hours, give or take, until the sun rose. Elsa didn't want to sleep though. The dreams would come back.

"Talk to me, Stian." she said.

"What?"

"Tell me a story. Anything." she said, probably sounding like she had lost it.

Luckily, Stian understood. "Once, long ago, there were three brothers. These brothers argued, and fought so much, that their father had to separate each one from one another. The first brother, Jotunn, had skin as hard as rock. Jotunn lifted boulders, and moved mountains. The second brother, Addler, loved to play tricks. With his bow, he would shoot hats off of heads, and food out of hands. The third brother, Lindworm, was clever. He built all sorts of machines, from ones that could fly to ones that could tell the future. The father of these boys, Hoenir, gave them each a place to live. Jotunn inherited the rocky cliffs and hillsides. Addler got the snowy peaks and tundra. Lindworm got the sky, and the caves beneath the earth. People, humans like ourselves, began to take sides. Some favored Jotunn and his strength. Others favored Lindworm, and his brains. Eventually, these humans began to live like the brothers, and then eventually look like the brothers. You tell the rest, Elsa."

She laughed, which she thought was odd, considering she was just sobbing away at her life story. She continued the myth.

"Followers of Jotunn became Trolls, followers of Addler became Elves, and the followers of Lindworm became Dwarves. Right?"

"Right. See, you know your stuff." Stian said.

Elsa suddenly didn't feel scared anymore. If anybody could protect her, from the Elves, or from herself, it was Stian. "See you in the morning." she said.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Anna

* * *

She settled into bed.

"What's the plan then, huh?" Anna asked Kristoff.

"Two enemies? I don't think we've done that before." Kristoff said, worried.

"There's a first time for everything."

"What if something goes wrong, though? What if somebody... You know..."

"We always win, Kristoff. Just in different ways." Anna said trying to comfort her husband, placing a hand on his cheek. Kristoff smiled weakly, and turned over in bed. Anna frowned, and cuddled close to him. To tell the truth, she was scared too. She hadn't seen this Asle lady Stian and Kristoff were talking about, but she didn't sound like good news. Anna figured a good nights sleep would do her well.

She was wrong.

* * *

Anna had a dream she was standing in a large room. Not exactly one she remembered, but one she knew. It had white marble floors, and a large vaulted ceiling with tapestries hanging down from it. The tapestries depicted dark forests, murky lakes, and ancient castles. Not something Anna would admire in her castle. They seemed to be woven in a way that the light danced off them, and made them almost look liquid. White light shown through the windows high above her. Anna stood still in her nightgown. Nothing else stood in the room. Anna didn't dare move.

Then she heard footsteps. She looked around desperately for somewhere to hide. The room was bare. Anna swerved to her left, then right. Wherever she was, she didn't feel safe. The footsteps got closer. Anna ran to behind one of the tapestries. They almost _felt_ like liquid. Anna squeezed her eyes shut. Something sinister was coming.

"Don't bother hiding." came a voice. The tapestry slowly faded, until Anna was gripping nothing. Anna slowly opened her eyes. Before her stood her Sister, Elsa, with open arms. "It's okay, Anna." she said. She wore a gown similar to what Anna had found her wearing in her Ice Castle a year ago, but this one was a dark blue.

"Elsa?" Anna asked. Her Sister smiled.

"Yes, don't be afraid."

Anna embraced her, and smiled.

"Sorry, I don't know what I was thinking. This... Is a dream right?" Anna asked. She realized she knew she was dreaming. Shouldn't she be able to control it or something at this point?

"A dream? I guess..." Elsa looked around confused. "What matters is that you're here!" she grinned.

"For what?" Anna shrugged.

"Oh, I've just been wanting to see you, that's all! You'll be my one entryway into Arendelle for a while." Elsa said.

"What?" Anna asked, thinking she'd misheard her Sister. Anna squinted at Elsa. Something was not right. Anna looked at Elsa. Her dress wasn't right. Her hair was... Darker... And her eyes...

Oh... Her eyes. They were red.

"You-" Anna stumbled backwards, "You're not-"

"I'm not your Sister, Anna. But I _am_ very happy to see you." the woman said, extending her hand. A black smoke shot from her palm, and connected to Anna's chest. She doubled over in pain.

"Who... Are you?" Anna gasped. The woman walked closer.

"You may have heard of me. I'm coming for you. I'm coming for your family, and everything you hold dear. I will destroy it all." she smiled, this time bearing her sharp teeth. This wasn't natural.

"You're... You're Asle. What are you doing?" Anna asked.

"Your Sister once froze your heart. I am placing darkness in it. Wherever there is darkness in the heart, that is where I will be." Asle explained.

"But... This is just a... A dream." Anna breathed.

"Not quite. Your consciousness is now in my part of the universe. A Kingdom we call Inane. Now... Lend me your heart." Asle breathed. Her voice was deeper than Elsa's. How could Anna not tell the difference between the two? They shared the same face, the same signature braid, and the same physical appearance. Other than the fact she looked down right demonic, Asle was a mirror image of Elsa, right down to the name.

"Universe?" Anna asked.

"Oh, you do know nothing. There is always a different route, Anna. Sometimes it starts at the very beginning. Didn't you ever wonder what things would be like if Elsa had never existed? If she had never been born? It is an alternate timeline, not like I'd expect you to understand that. Imagine, if you would, that Odin had never existed."

"Odin?"

"No light. No warmth. That is where I live. Odin never existed." Asle pressed her fingers to Anna's heart, and closed her eyes.

"Tenebris cor intus inane, et sine me ibi colligitur. Anna Reginae Arendelle, mea est imperare." Asle spoke. Anna felt the blood drain from her head, and she passed out onto the floor. The last thing she saw was that Witch's glowing red eyes glaring down at her.

* * *

Anna woke with a start. She was back in her bed. Kristoff breathed silently next to her. She felt her chest. She was alright. Maybe it was just a dream after all. Anna wasn't sure. She didn't like it. What had Asle said? Alternate timeline? What did that mean? Anna knew a timeline could only go one way, but what if there wasn't just _one_ timeline? The other timeline is the world where Odin never existed for some reason. It was the world devoid of all light.

No wonder Asle wanted this world. Who would want to live in a world of darkness? She'd have to talk to Kristoff about this in the morning. Despite how badly Anna didn't want to go back to sleep, it eventually overcame her.

She didn't have any more dreams.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Kristoff

* * *

Kristoff slowly opened his eyes.

"Up and at 'em!" Anna called from across the room. Odd. Kristoff was usually the one who had to wake her up. But there she was, fixing her hair in front of the mirror.

"You're up early." Kristoff thought aloud.

"Eh, I didn't get much sleep last night anyway. Kristoff, we need to talk to Malva again. She may know where other people are." Anna said, braiding the right side of her hair.

"Other people?"

"You know. With other elements. Stone and Energy."

"If there's anybody with energy right now, it's you." Kristoff sighed, getting out of bed.

"Why thank you." Anna said, mimicking a stereotypical Princess.

Kristoff brushed himself off, and took a well deserved bath. He then got dressed, went downstairs to the kitchen to find something to eat. Neither Stian nor Elsa were present, so Kristoff and Anna had the food all to themselves. They didn't mind. After eating, they visited the village. A few children ran up to them, asking them to sign this and that. The villagers bowed and thanked Anna for all she was doing. After visiting the village, the couple returned to the Castle, and back to their room.

Kristoff collapsed on a chair, exhausted.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"About eleven."

"Not even midday yet..." Kristoff faked a smile. Anna beamed at him, and went back to the pile of papers she had sitting on the desk in front of her.

"Whacha signing?" Kristoff asked.

"Just a few minor decrees. Elsa mainly tackles the big stuff, but I'm the Queen's Right Hand. Somebody has to do the dirty work." Anna said.

"What kind of dirty work?" Kristoff asked, sliding one of Anna's braids through his hand.

"You know, land disputes, small taxes, and advice."

"Advice?"

"We have a lot of little admirers down in the village." Anna smiled. "They ask how they can be more like Princesses, or how they can get ice powers."

"What do you tell them?"

"I tell them they need to be kind to one another, and don't let anybody tell you what you can and can't be. I also tell them ice powers are what makes Elsa special. They need to find what makes them special, and make other people happy with it." Anna explained.

Kristoff whistled, "Quite the role model, huh?" Anna shot him a silly face.

There was a sudden knock on the door. Kai was on the other side.

"Your Majesty?" he asked, obviously referring to Anna. Kristoff wasn't sure what sort of position he held in the monarchy of Arendelle, but he didn't have much of a say in anything.

"Yes?" Anna asked, not looking up from her braid, the left one this time.

"There is somebody here to meet with you."

"Is it Malva?" Anna asked.

"N-no, Your Majesty. It's... You need to come downstairs at once." he said, and left.

"He wasn't too happy." he observed.

"He never really is. I wonder who it could be." Anna said. The couple finished getting ready, and headed downstairs to the throne room, to find the guest who was waiting for them. The arrived in the throne room to find...

Nobody.

"Are you sure he isn't running late or anything?" Anna asked Kristoff. He shrugged. The doors swung open after a few minutes of waiting. Three guards marched in, followed by three more. Three in the back wore the green suit of Arendelle, and the three in the front wore orange. What kingdom had orange as their coat?

"Your Majesty." One of the guards said. Anna and Kristoff bowed, thanking them. Kristoff saw Anna shift her gaze, and gasp. She covered her mouth with her hands.

"What is _he_ doing here?" Anna asked. Kristoff didn't see who she was talking about at first, until one of the guards parted, revealing a man hunched over. He wore a ragged shirt, which probably used to be white, and torn pants. Nothing else. His hair hung long over his head, and he was beginning to grow a facial hair. Maybe that was why Kristoff didn't recognize him. But he did now.

"State your business." Kristoff almost spat. The man slowly looked up. He was shackled by his wrists and ankles, making sure he didn't go anywhere. The man smiled, and spoke.

"I'm here to help." Hans croaked.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Elsa

* * *

Elsa rushed down to the dungeon as soon as she heard who had arrived. Anna, Kristoff, and Stian were waiting for her there, peering through the bars on the door.

"How did they let him back into Arendelle?" Elsa whispered to Stian.

"No idea. He's been rambling this whole time." Stian answered.

"I'm not rambling." Hans said calmly. "I'm telling the truth."

"What has he said?"

"He said there's a way he can help us." Kristoff said.

"Why would we trust him?" Elsa asked.

"That's what we were thinking. But, Elsa... Maybe he's telling the truth." Anna said. Elsa was shocked.

"What? Out of all of us, he hurt you the most. Now you're the only one of us who trusts him? Anna, get ahold of yourself." Elsa said.

"_I do have a grip!_" Anna screamed at her Sister. Elsa recoiled, shocked at how Anna had responded. Elsa could see Anna's pupils... They looked like those of a snake. Anna had the face of sheer anger for a second, but then covered her mouth. "Elsa. I- I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me..." Anna hung her head. She was back to normal.

"It's alright. Sorry for what I said. But, Anna, how can we know we can trust him?" Elsa asked.

"I don't think we can." Kristoff said.

"You can, though. Please... How can I prove this to you?" Hans asked from inside his cell. The group thought for a minute.

"You can't." Anna spoke.

"What if... What if I..." Hans tried desperately.

"Nothing to see here." Stian said. They all turned their backs to leave, and were almost gone, before Hans called after them.

"I know how you can stop Asle!" he begged. They all stopped. Asle? How did Hans know about her? There was a ruckus in the room behind them, and the door slowly opened. In waddled the adorable snowman, Olaf.

"Olaf, what are you doing? Get out of here!" Kristoff said.

"Oh, Kristoff." Olaf laughed. He walked right past him, to Anna. "I heard that Sideburns McEvilprince is back." he whispered. Anna nodded her head, and motioned to the cell behind her. Olaf waddled straight up to it.

"I know what your up to, Hans!" Olaf called.

"You do?" Elsa asked.

"Sure! He's here to tell you Yuri is here!" Olaf smiled.

"Yuri?" Stian asked.

"That's right." Hans said, putting his face up to the bars. Elsa and all the others met his eyes, giving him a chance to explain. "Yuri. I believe you needed his help."

"We don't need his help." Anna said.

"Yeah you do!" Olaf begged to differ.

"Why do we need this... Yuri man's help anyway?" Elsa asked.

"Because. He's like you." Hans said. Elsa's eyes widened. She knew she had to gather the rest of the six people who had powers, not counting herself, Stian, Malva or Asle. Maybe that number was down to five?

"What do you mean?" Elsa asked, this time with purpose, as if it were a threat to Hans. The scruffy man studied the wall of his cell. His prison years really hadn't done him any favors. He now looked thinner, and had a more melancholy look on his face. It was as if he were sorry for... No. He wasn't, and Elsa would never forgive him for what he did to Arendelle.

"Yuri can control energy." Hans said.

"Energy?" Stian asked, "That's an element?"

"You know, the essence that is inside everything? Yuri can harness it, and use it to do whatever he wants." Hans explained.

"How do you know this?" Kristoff asked.

"Yuri is a poor man, who came to The Southern Isles a few months ago, from Russia."

"Russia? What's he doing in The Southern Isles?" Stian asked.

Hans shrugged, "Who knows? One day he's a beggar on the streets, the next he's got the entire town up in arms because he has strange powers. They came to me for help." Hans said.

"Why would they go to you?" Anna asked.

"All these questions..." Hans laughed. "I've seen powers first hand, Anna. I know what they can do. Yuri's powers... They're something else. Something Elsa couldn't copy in a million years. Oh, I heard you had a baby. Congratulations."

"So why are you here?" Elsa asked, disregarding what he had said.

"They offered me freedom in exchange for mending the damage I've caused to Arendelle." Hans said. The air was taken from everybody's lungs, except Olaf, who stood there, confused.

"Why would they offer you freedom? You tried to kill my Wife!" Stian growled.

"Now, now! I've come to make amends, not enemies." Hans held up his hands. Stian backed off.

"Well, can you bring this Yuri here to Arendelle?" Anna asked.

"He's here. Right now."

"You brought him with you?" Kristoff panicked. Hans nodded.

"I knew you'd need him to assist with your little fiasco. Now I've done you a favor... Can you, um... You know..." Hans motioned to the door. Everybody looked at Elsa.

"Oh, just because I'm Queen, I get to decide if the misunderstood criminal goes free?" she asked, taken aback. They all looked to Stian.

"Ha, ha." he mocked. "Listen, Hans. We'll free you from your cell and shackles. You will stay in the inn with Malva and Yuri under constant watch. If you even get up for a midnight snack, we'll know. If you try anything to hurt _anybody_, we'll have you shipped back to The Southern Isles immediately, with the worst possible punishment in mind. Got that?"

Hans nodded. "I'm grateful you see fit that I can-"

"Just... Stop. Please. You've already proven that you can't be trusted. Change my mind, and you can help us with the threat of Briarvale." Elsa said. A concerned look appeared on Hans' face.

"Briarvale? What do they want?" he asked.

"They've mobilized troops. They'll arrive soon. But at the same time, we have to protect Arendelle from an evil Sorceress. Hans, if we put you in charge, behind Stian, of the tactical team to stop Briarvale, what would you have to offer us?" Elsa asked.

"Eighty men from the Southern Isles ready to fight, Your Majesty." Hans said. Elsa looked at Anna nervously.

"Prove yourself. Then we'll talk."

* * *

"He can't be trusted!" Kristoff said.

"I know, I know... But we need support for this threat, Kristoff! Hans is the one who can offer that support." Elsa said. The group all sat around the dining table, discussing further plans. "What about you, Anna?"

"Me? I don't know. He seems like he's changed, but Hans is an excellent liar. We might just have to wait and see how this turns out." Anna said.

"And if Yuri ends up being one of Hans' little henchmen? Who can control energy?" Stian asked.

"We haven't even seen Yuri yet, maybe Hans made the whole thing up." Kristoff folded his arms.

"He didn't, I saw Yuri just a few hours ago!" Olaf giggled.

"You did?" Elsa asked.

"Yep! He showed me he could make a flower wilt, and bring it back to life. It was so cool!" Olaf beamed. Nobody said anything.

"We'll go into town today." Stian said, taking Elsa's hand. "We'll see if this Yuri really is what he says."

"Alright. Now, about Asle?" Anna asked.

"We need to find five others who have powers. Two more people for stone, one for fire, one for energy, and one for... Darkness." Elsa explained.

"Darkness... Like Asle? What if he is just as bad? What happens when we find this guy, and he pulls a Hans? He gets into Arendelle, and destroys it from the inside?" Kristoff asked, playing devil's advocate.

"What if he isn't? What if Asle is just a really bad egg?" Stian asked.

"Here's what we're going to do. Stian and I will track down the rest of the people we need to stop Asle. Kristoff, Anna. I need you to see what you can do about proving Hans' loyalty, and protecting Arendelle from Briarvale, okay?" Elsa asked.

"Sure." Anna agreed.

"I guess we can do that. What are your plans to find the others?" Kristoff scratched his head.

"I got a few ideas." Stian said, grinning.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Stian

* * *

He paced the halls, sleepless. This was the third night. If the troops from Briarvale didn't arrive tonight, there would be no telling when they would, or wouldn't arrive.

Stian thought back to his and Elsa's trip into earlier that day...

* * *

"Okay. He's at the tavern. Typical." Elsa said.

"What do you mean?"

"What's the first thing somebody like Yuri would do when they get any sort of money?" Elsa asked.

"Drink?"

"No. Stian, I'm not like that. No, he's using his powers. Look." Elsa pointed to the tavern. An otherworldly blue light illuminated the windows.

"That's... Different." Stian said. Elsa agreed. After greeting a few dozen villagers, they entered the tavern. The roars of laughter shrank when the couple entered. People began whispering.

"It's the Queen."

"And the King..."

"What are they doing here?"

A few drunken men hooted at Elsa, but they were swiftly silenced by a blast of icy wind. Elsa and Stian walked up to the counter. The bartender looked shocked.

"What can I get ya, Your Majesties?" he asked.

"Oh, no. We're not here for a drink. Is there a man named Yuri here?" Stian asked. The bartender pointed to the back. Stian wasn't expecting to see what he saw.

Sure, Yuri must have bit young and fit. Stian was expecting him to be the picture of youthful health with rippling muscles, a beard and whatnot. Instead, sitting hunched over at the table, as an old man. This man had to be at least eighty. He clutched a wooden cane in one hand, and a small drink of water in the other. Stian had experience with magical canes, this was not one. But the old man seemed to have an aura about him, something... Almost patriarchal. He was bald, and had sagging skin. His eyes looked sad, but his laugh lines told another story. His arms looked like they were strong at one point, but age had done them in.

Stian and Elsa approached the old man, and sat down.

"Mr. Yuri? I'm-" Elsa started to say, but was interrupted.

"I know who you are." Yuri said, with a thick Russian accent.

"Okay... I, uh, we were wondering-" Elsa was cut off again.

"I know. Hans told me everything. I'll help you." Yuri agreed.

"Really? Just like that?" Stian asked. Yuri nodded.

"On one condition."

He knew it.

"What is it?" Stian asked.

"You let me show the Kingdom of Briarvale who's boss." he grinned. His old, yellowed teeth didn't revolt Stian, but they weren't clean either.

"What do you mean?" Elsa asked.

"They wronged me years ago. I need something to settle a little... Dispute I had with the General of the Briarvale army, General Hackett. Can I join the war effort?" Yuri asked.

"Woah, woah. It's not a war effort. If we can, we'll resolve this peacefully. If that doesn't end up happening... Give 'em all you got." Elsa said. Stian looked shocked, Elsa hardly ever was this straightforward about fighting somebody.

"I can't argue with that." Stian said. He shook Yuri's hand.

"Welcome to the team."

* * *

Then Stian had continued to research this "Hans." The library was dark and empty, and why wouldn't it be? It was the middle of the night. He opened the Royal Log from a year and a half ago.

He knew most of the details about the Eternal Winter incident, and Hans was no exception. Hans had come to Arendelle for Elsa's coronation. He met Anna the day of the coronation, and she was immediately smitten with him. When Anna asked her Sister if she could marry Hans, Elsa rejected. Anna pressed more and more until Elsa accidentally revealed her powers. Elsa fled to the North Mountain, and Anna went after her. Anna left Hans in charge of Arendelle when she was gone. He slowly grew more and more popular with the villagers, until Anna's horse returned from the journey without Anna. Hans led an expedition to the North Mountain, and captured Elsa.

He tried to get her to bring back summer, but when she couldn't, Hans knew he had no need for the Queen now. Anna returned with a frozen heart, accidentally put there by Elsa. Hans betrayed Anna, and went to kill Elsa.

Long story short, Anna saved Elsa's life, and Elsa saved Anna's in return. Hans was sent back to The Southern Isles to face the judgement of his family. Here's where the story really began.

Hans returned to The Southern Isles to much of the dismay of the Royal Family. They were hurt, and insulted that Hans would do such a thing. He was sentenced to life behind bars by his older brothers, with no chance of escape. There in that cell, Hans sat for a year and a half. Thinking. Waiting. When news came that the Queen of Arendelle had gotten married, he saw this as his chance to get out. He needed to get back to Arendelle and see the Queen, to beg her to forgive him. He didn't.

When he heard that Elsa had given birth, he saw this as another way to mend old wounds with the Royal Family of Arendelle. He appealed to his brothers and parents, who then decided that he be given a chance to redeem himself. Under close watch by the Guards, Hans boarded a ship to Arendelle.

Aboard that ship, in his cabin, he met a man named Yuri. Yuri was a drifter, and had ended up in The Southern Isles after a few years of wandering, starting from Russia. He told Hans about his life. About how he attended school, married his childhood sweetheart, and became good friends with diplomats and government officials. It was only when one of Yuri's friends, a poor man by the name of Zenic informed him of a tragedy. His house had caught fire and his entire family had failed to make it out alive.

Yuri could control the element known as energy, and blamed himself for the fire. Yuri had shown his children how to light the stove with energy the day before, and something must have gone wrong.

Yuri cut all ties to anybody he knew, sold everything he still owned, and became a drifter. He went from kingdom to kingdom, drinking himself into a stupor for years. After many years he realized his family wouldn't want him to live that way. He stopped drinking, and appealed to the Royal Family in the kingdom he happened to be in. That kingdom?

The Southern Isles.

He got a one way ticket to Arendelle to meet with the King and Queen. Instead, the Queen and King had met with him.

Stian put down Yuri's journal, which Hans had so kindly provided.

"Anything?" Elsa asked. Stian nearly had a heart attack.

"How do you get around so silently?" he asked.

Elsa shrugged, "I'm nimble."

"Where's Neiva?"

"Asleep. What are you looking at?" Elsa peeked over Stian's shoulder. Stian brushed her hair out of his face, and pointed.

"This is Yuri's journal. That guy has had a hard life."

"Looks like it. Why do you have the Royal Logs from last year?" Elsa asked, pulling up a chair next to him.

"I also wanted to research Hans. I know you, Anna, and Kristoff got to know him first hand, but I didn't..." Stian looked at his wife. Her eyes were still filled with concern. "You still don't trust him, do you?" Stian asked.

"No, Stian. I don't. Hans may seem nice now, but what if he's playing the same game he was playing last time he came to Arendelle?" Elsa said.

"But Elsa, here's the important question. What if he's not? What if he's actually changed?"

"I don't know... He seems alright now, but we need to keep an eye on him."

"He brought us Yuri. We only need five more people with elemental powers to stop Asle." Stian reasoned.

"But what about Briarvale? What happens when they invade because they're scared of our powers? One snow crazed sorceress was enough, and now there's a snow crazed sorcerer... And those two happen to be in charge of the rival Kingdom? And those two also happen to be recruiting more magical people? This screams 'bad news' for Briarvale. They're just-" Elsa stopped herself. Stian knew what she was going to say. They could both relate to how the entire Kingdom of Briarvale was feeling.

"They're just scared." Stian finished.

"Yeah..." Elsa exhaled. They looked at each other for a few seconds.

"How about we get some sleep?" Stian asked.

"Sleep's good." Elsa yawned. The two walked hand in hand back to their room, trying to keep things positive. But the future was still bleak, and this couple had the weight of not one, but two worlds on their shoulders.

Surely they'd find a way.

Right?


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Anna

* * *

Sure enough, Elsa shook her awake that night.

"Anna? Come on." she whispered.

"Yeah, hm?" Anna sat up in bed, rubbing her eye.

"Get dressed. You too, Kristoff." Elsa ordered.

"On it!" Kristoff called from the other room.

"What's going on?" Anna asked.

"They're here. Briarvale." Stian said grimly. He sat in a chair in the corner of the room, in darkness. Anna could see his silhouette, and his icy blue eyes almost glowing in the darkness. He looked rather evil.

"They're... Here?" Anna asked, pulling a rough shirt over her head.

"Kai woke us a few minutes ago. We have to get to the walls." Elsa said. Anna fastened her belt, and opened her bedroom door.

"Ready?" she asked. The other three nodded. "Where's Neiva? And Olaf and Sven?" Anna asked.

"Neiva's with Gerda in the safe-house, Olaf and Sven are waiting by the walls already. Olaf actually spotted them. Come on." Stian whispered. Ah, the safe-house. Anna had been there once before, just to see what it looked like. Hidden underneath the cathedral, there were four small rooms. One with six sets of bunk beds, one with food and supplies, one with living space, and one for recreation. It was charming, but scary. Anna never did like the underground. She began to light a lantern, but Kristoff blew it out.

"Hey!"

"Shh... Do you want them to know exactly where we are?" he asked. Anna shrugged.

"Fine." she whispered. The four crept through the long halls, eventually reaching a small door, leading out into the front courtyard of the Castle. All the street lamps and every house in Arendelle was dark. She couldn't see her hand in front of her face. The only thing that did cast any light was the crimson aurora, which didn't make Anna feel any better. They found Kai waiting at the base of the walls. He led them into a guard tower, and they sat around a round table at the base.

"Kristoff and I will go up and see." Stian said.

"I'm coming too." Elsa said. Stian shook his head.

"No Elsa, it's too dangerous."

"Stian, I can handle myself. Trust me." Elsa said, forming a small snowball, which hovered over hand for a second, before she threw it at Stian. He quickly waved his hand, and it melted in midair. They both giggled.

They had a _thing?_ Why didn't she and Kristoff have thing? What made them so perfect? Elsa was always the perfect one, nobody ever cared about Anna.

Anna caught herself. She was seeing red, almost literally. Why had she been so irritable the past couple of days? Ever since she had that dream... What had Asle said? Something in another language. It was Latin. Anna was sure, she had studied it for a few years when she was younger. Anna remembered it vividly.

"Tenebris cor intus inane, et sine me ibi colligitur. Anna Reginae Arendelle, mea est imperare" she had said.

Tenebris cor intus inane. That was an easy one, 'The dark heart and the void within it.' Okay.

Et sine me ibi colligitur. This one was a bit harder. Et sine me meant 'and apart from me.' Something that was not a part of Asle. Ibi colligitur was... It was... Apart from me... You are collected there. It didn't translate very well, but Anna knew it roughly translated to "Apart from me, I am a part of you." That part wasn't to good.

Anna Reginae Arendelle, mea est imperare. This line chilled Anna down to her core. It meant 'Princess Anna of Arendelle, you are mine to command.'

"Anna, you listening?" Elsa asked. Anna shook herself.

"Yeah. Yeah, I got it." Anna lied.

"Good," Elsa said, turning back to the table. "The four of us will go up. Anna, you'll do what we talked about, alright?" Elsa asked. Oh no. Anna hadn't been listening at all.

"Sure thing, Sis! I'll do that. That thing... You know... That you asked me to do!" Anna smiled. Everybody looked at her oddly, before they stood up.

"Alright. Stay on guard, you guys." Stian said. Anna climbed the spiral staircase behind Kristoff who led the line. Elsa followed behind her, with Stian in tow. They reached the lookout tower, and ducked behind the half wall. Stian and Elsa exhaled, and closed their eyes. They moved their arms in a fashion, that a thick wall of ice rose up from the half wall, making it a full barrier. It was relatively quiet too, which was nice. They stood up. Anna could see it.

There, in the distance, was a single red lantern. Anna saw the shadows of people pass in front of the lantern. It cast a glow on the ground in its immediate vicinity. A few crossbows lay on the ground. They were ready for war.

"Elsa?" Anna asked. Elsa was still focused, along with Stian. Anna looked at her surroundings, and noticed what they were doing. Elsa and Stian weren't just erecting a small wall of ice to keep them safe, the walls all around Arendelle shuddered, as layers of ice were frozen onto the fronts of them. Within a few minutes, Arendelle was a completely fortified ice fortress. The new walls around the city looked vaguely similar to the style of Elsa's Ice Castle, with spires and intricate curves. Elsa and Stian both collapsed to the floor, exhausted.

"We... We should be getting back. That wall... Will buy us... Some time." Elsa panted.

"...Yeah." Stian breathed as well.

Anna took one last glimpse at the lantern before returning downstairs.

Something told her they wouldn't wait until morning to attack, if they were going to attack at all. Arendelle couldn't attack first either, as it would be taken as a sign of hostility.

It was a waiting game.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Kristoff

* * *

Olaf huddled against the side of the bed.

"Do you think they're still there?" he whispered.

"Yes." Anna and Kristoff said at the same time. Kristoff knew it would be hard to get any sleep, but it was even harder than he thought with Olaf asking them the same question every minute.

"Is there any room in there?" Olaf asked.

"No." Anna and Kristoff said again. Olaf disregarded what they said, and wedged himself between the couple. He sat there, and exhaled.

"Good night, Anna." he whispered.

"Good night."

"Good night, Kristoff." Olaf smiled.

"Good night, Olaf." Kristoff grumbled. They lay there in silence for a few seconds. Kristoff's eyes were wide open, knowing Olaf would say something soon.

"Anna, you're taking a lot of blanket." Olaf pulled the blanket his way. Anna groaned. Olaf breathed, "Ah, warmth."

They were silent again. So silent, in fact, that you could hear the soldiers patrolling outside in the hall. The security was stepped up, of course. Only one ship was allowed into port at once, and only after being thoroughly searched. The citizens could leave their houses, but the marketplace was shut down. They'd have to buy their goods from shops, and there was now a curfew. 22 o'clock, when all citizens must be in their homes. Elsa and Stian assured people it was for their own safety, and they understood. With the new, thick, icy walls that surrounded Arendelle, it would be tough for anybody to invade.

"Kristoff, can you scoot over a little?" Olaf asked. Kristoff obliged.

"Olaf, there's a sleeping pad underneath the bed. Just use that." Kristoff suggested, annoyed.

"Oh, but that wouldn't be as fun! This is like a slumber party. Right Anna?" Olaf asked. The two looked to the Princess. She was snoring away.

"She can sleep through anything. Good night, Olaf." Kristoff said.

"Goodnight Kristoff."

* * *

The morning was foggy and silent. A deep fog crept across the fjord, obscuring any vision. This made the royal guard exceedingly nervous, but Elsa and Stian remained resolute. They always were.

Kristoff found it cute when he saw the three of them, cuddling together in the room. Kristoff was a manly mountain man, but the sight of a happy family just made him melt. He'd sometimes peek into their room, only to find Elsa, Stian, and Neiva all asleep, with political documents strewn about the room. He'd smile, and shut the door. They needed the rest.

Ever since Briarvale had been spotted outside the walls, Stian and Elsa kept close watch over Neiva. Whenever they weren't together, Elsa made sure Gerda stayed somewhere safe when she watched the Princess.

Today marked two days since Briarvale had arrived. They were sitting around a table, discussing further action against Briarvale, when Gerda burst into the room.

"Your Majesties!" Gerda bowed, "It's Neiva." she said. Elsa and Stian stood up from their chairs.

"What's wrong?" Elsa asked.

Gerda smiled, "Oh, nothing. You must see this!" She led the four down into the safe-house, where she kept the child during her parents' meetings. Gerda opened the door slowly. In the corner of the room sat two other housemaids, wrapped in a blanket. In the middle of the room sat Neiva, nibbling on a small toy. Elsa's eyes widened when she further examined the toy.

It was coated in a layer of frost.

Elsa lifted her baby into her arms, and started into her eyes. Kristoff wasn't sure if the Queen looked terrified or ecstatic. A smile came across her face, as if she were relieved. Stian laughed, and put his arm around Elsa.

"What?" Anna asked. Elsa didn't look up from her daughter's face.

"She's like us."

"What?" Kristoff asked.

Elsa waved her hand in the air, creating a small flurry of snow. The housemaids shivered a bit. Elsa smiled, "Like us."

"I guess it makes sense." somebody grumbled. In the other far corner of the room sat Yuri. He looked tired, but still sat with his cane firmly on the ground, awake.

"Yuri? What do you mean?" Anna asked.

"Her parents both have the gift. It'd be stranger if she didn't. But this means one thing is wrong."

"What's wrong?" Stian asked.

"Elements can only be gifted to two people, one male, one female. Now there are two females who have the power of ice." Yuri reasoned, licking his lips. Kristoff thought about this for a second.

"So is there some kind of imbalance or something?" he asked. Yuri shrugged.

"I don't know. We'll find out soon enough. That fog this morning? It isn't natural. I can feel it." he spoke.

"I know, me too." Elsa confessed. Did they have some sort of magic detecting power that they could just switch on and off? Stian didn't detect Asle in the woods when they were ambushed, but now Elsa can tell this is magical fog?

"What makes the fog magical?" Anna asked. Yuri scratched his head.

"Dunno. It's thick, though. I've seen fog like this. It's meant to keep things out."

"Good! This way Briarvale will stay out of the fog!" Kristoff deduced.

"Not quite. Who says we're on the inside?" Yuri said. Silence.

"You mean... Right now Arendelle is..." Elsa started to say.

"An island, yes. Kind of. The fog isn't fog. It's nothingness."

"But it's white. I thought Asle controlled nothingness, and it's dark." Anna pulled one of her braids, nervously.

"It could just be fog. One way to find out." Yuri slowly stood up from his chair.

"Your not going into are you?" Stian asked.

"Of course I am." he hobbled to the door, and climbed slowly up the stone staircase. The four friends went after him to see what would happen.

"Be careful, Yuri." Kristoff called. He stuck his cane into the fog. Nothing. Yuri took a few steps foreword, and immediately disappeared.

"Yuri?" Elsa called frantically. Nothing. She called again. They all did the third time.

"It's just fog." they heard. He emerged back from the white mist in the distance. He patted Stian on the shoulder. "Just fog. I'm a bit superstitious you see... But that is _not fog." _Yuri pointed an old frail finger behind Stian. The four turned around to see a dark pattern moving across the sky. It almost looked like a cloud made of black diamonds. The cloud continued through the sky until it hovered a few hundred feet above the group. It then descended. Everybody stood ready to fight. Even Yuri, whose hands lit up with blue light. This had to be Asle. The cloud parted until it was gone. Somebody stood there, somebody they didn't expect.

"Who are you?" Stian asked. The stranger brushed his shaggy black hair out of his face, and his red eyes grew large. He smiled, baring his sharp teeth. This wasn't Asle, but it sure was somebody who knew her. He wore a dark robe, like depictions of death. One hand was gloved, while the other remained pale and ungloved. His hood was drawn, but they could make out his face. He said nothing. "Who are you?" Stian asked again.

The stranger folded back his hood, and everybody gasped.

He was the spitting image of Stian.

"I'm you." the stranger laughed.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Stian

* * *

When he peered into his red eyes, Stian saw his whole self reflected back at him. He saw his childhood with Elsa, he saw his teen years growing up in Corona, he saw himself seeing Elsa for the first time in thirteen years. He saw the first time he and Elsa confided to each other, at Wandering Oaken's spare room in the middle of the night. He saw himself in incredible amounts of pain as the Ice Elves siphoned Elsa's powers to use against him. He saw them returning Arendelle, only to be attacked by the Ice Elves. And Hans... After attempting to destroy Arendelle, he was sent home. This time instead of a "stern talking to" with his brothers, he was sentenced to life in prison. He saw the rebuilding of Arendelle, when he first met Odin, and when Neiva was born.

He blinked.

He must have lived nineteen years in two seconds.

"What are you?" he asked. The man put out his arms, showing he had no weapons.

"I'm here to help."

"Why should we trust you?" Anna asked. The stranger took a step foreword. Everybody else took a step back.

"You shouldn't. I mean, I don't blame you if you don't. The way I look and all."

"How did you find us?" Elsa asked.

The stranger brushed his hand through his hair, "Like I said, looks can tell a lot about people. Look at yourselves." he motioned. "Your hair and eyes were a dead giveaway, but the way you carried on... There is definitely something different about you... You two command ice, right?" he asked.

"Why does it matter?" Stian asked, taking Elsa's hand.

"Why does it matter?" The stranger repeated. "If you like your world the way it is now, if you appreciate life and freedom, if you-" he stopped. "You two are married aren't you?"

Elsa gathered her strength, "Yes, we are."

"How precious. I mean that, sincerely. Love is a beautiful thing. You have a child, no?"

"How do you-"

"All of us know. There's been something... Off with the ice end of the spectrum for a few weeks. Queen Elsa here has given birth to a..." he sniffed the air. "Baby girl."

"Leave, now." Stian growled.

"_I'm here to help!_" the man said.

"What's your name?" Kristoff asked.

"Names have power. Power that I'm not willing to-"

"What is your name?" Anna asked, cracking her knuckles.

"Sitna! Happy now?" he asked, cowering under Anna.

"What were you saying about love?" Anna asked.

"Ah yes! I was once in love..." Sitna smiled.

"With whom?" Elsa asked. Sitna looked like she'd just frozen his heart.

"Nobody important. Like I said, looks are telling. You two, you got it easy. _Very_ light hair, pale skin, blue eyes. Me... Well..." he poked one of his sharp teeth. "I look like this."

"You look like that because of your powers?" Stian asked.

"Yep. So do you. So does Yuri here. And that Malva? Her too. But listen, none of this is important. What is important is your daughter."

"Our daughter is of none of your concern." Elsa accused.

"No, no! I didn't mean it like that. It's just... There are two people on the planet that can control the elements. Hodur favored you, Stian. He was in charge of passing on the gift. I'm guessing he didn't intend to pass it to Elsa as well-"

"He did." Elsa folded her arms.

"Okay, but he probably didn't know you two were going to fall in love. He didn't know you were going to get married. And he_ especially _didn't know that you would have a child. Now, ice is overpowered. There are three vessels instead of two. And do you know why that's a problem?" Sitna asked.

"No?" Kristoff guessed.

Sitna exhaled. "If her power grows, so does the influence of ice all over the world. Have you ever heard of the great ice age?" Sitna asked. The couple reluctantly nodded. Stian had studied it in school long ago.

"Three ice vessels. Who would want that to happen again?"

"What do you want us to do, drain our daughter of her powers?" Elsa asked.

"Well... Kind of. We'll speak more on this later. What is important is that we stop Her." Sitna said.

"Her?" Yuri asked.

"You know... Asle." he said in a hushed tone.

"Which brings us back to, how can we trust you?" Anna rolled her eyes.

Sitna smiled, "Because I can do this." he waved his hands, and a small dark cloud formed on the other side of the city walls.

"What did you do?" Stian asked.

"It's dark over there. Very dark. It will be until I will it otherwise. I've just bought you another two days, at least, to come up with another plan." Sitna looked proud of himself.

"What's Asle planning to do to Arendelle?" Kristoff asked. Sitna began to laugh. What was so funny?

"Arendelle? What's she gonna do to _Arendelle? _No, Locus. The World."

"Locus?"

"Sorry, you look like him-" Sitna began to pace.

"Who's Locus?" Kristoff whispered to Anna. She shrugged.

"She's not after Arendelle. A Kingdom's a Kingdom, she has hundreds of those. A world, now... She only has one of those. Asle wants more." Sitna explained.

"How is she going to take our world?" Stian stepped forward toward Sitna.

"What happens when you blow out a candle in an otherwise unlit room?" Sitna asked.

"It gets dark." Anna answered.

"Good. And when you light that candle?"

"Light." Kristoff said.

"Good... What happens when there is both light and darkness?" Sitna quizzed again. Stian was confused.

"They... Cancel each other out?" he answered reluctantly.

"Have you ever seen a solar eclipse?" he asked.

"Once." Stian said, remembering it. He thought the world was ending, he was only seven. His mother comforted him, and they baked a cake that looked exactly like a solar eclipse to ease his mind.

"That is what happens where there is both light and darkness in the same place. The amount of magical energy that it gives off is... Something else." Sitna looked at his hands. "What would happen if this world of light was covered in a world of darkness?"

"There would be... Neither?" Elsa furrowed her brow.

Sitna clapped his hands together, "Bingo. Neither. Light at darkness would cancel each other out and-"

"The world will cease to exist." Yuri finished. Sitna looked at him impressed.

"Yep. It'll end. And guess who will be left?"

"Asle?"

"And yours truly. Have you ever wondered why there is no element for light, while there is one for darkness? It's because there is always light. No matter where you are, no matter how dark, there is always a light you can pick out from the darkness. Light is eternal. Darkness... Not so much."

"So how is Asle planning to do this?" Yuri asked.

"The Schism." he answered.

"The what?" they all asked.

"I'm going to see the Trolls. If you want an explanation, meet me there." he said, and pulled his hood over his head.

"Wait!" Stian called, but he was too late. With a flip of his dark rope, Sitna was gone. Only the group of five remained.

They all had questions.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Elsa

* * *

Elsa was surprised, she got the best nights sleep she'd had in a while. She didn't expect to be so calm after meeting this "Sitna" and knowing that troops from Briarvale were perched outside their walls. Even Hans was back in Arendelle, and Elsa seemed oddly content. Stian, on the other hand, was a wreck.

"Who do you think he was?" he asked. They lay in bed, Elsa shook herself awake to answer his question.

"Hm?"

"I mean... He looks... Like me. Who was he?" Stian asked.

"You've seen Asle, right?" Elsa asked.

"Yeah."

"What did she look like?"

Stian hesitated, "A lot like you but... I don't know, something was wrong. It was her eyes, definitely her eyes."

"They say eyes are windows to the soul, Stian. Asle looks like me and Sitna looks like you. Do you think that was just a coincidence?"

"Pabbi told us that nothing good will come of darkness. Elsa, he's darkness." Stian confided.

"But he means well."

"Just like Hans? Just like Hodur? Look, there's something that keeps bringing liars back to Arendelle. It's hard to trust anybody." Stian said, exhaling. Elsa turned over to face him. She placed a hand on his chest.

"You trust me, don't you?" she asked. Stian's expression softened.

"Yes. Always."

"And Anna? Kristoff? Olaf and Sven?"

"I trust them."

"You have people who love you, Stian. People who trust you. The entire Kingdom of Arendelle looks to us as their leaders. They trust us. That's a burden nobody should ever have to carry alone." she moved her hand to his cheek. His skin was icy, probably due to his fear. Stian looked over at his wife.

"Thank you. It's just... So much has happened so quickly. Elsa, do you think Arendelle will ever have peace?"

Elsa thought for a moment. "I don't like to think about the negative. I used to only think about the negative things in life, and look where that got me. I froze all of Arendelle. Like Pabbi said when I was young, 'Fear will be your enemy.'"

"And love will thaw. Sitna did seem to have a good grip on his powers. He said he went to visit the Trolls. Is that where we're off to tomorrow?" Stian asked.

Elsa winked, "You bet."

"I've been looking for a good adventure." he smiled.

* * *

Anna was up at the crack of dawn, like always. They met Kristoff in the stables, where Sven and Olaf were waiting as well.

"You're coming along, Olaf?" Elsa smiled.

"Of course! I'm never one to pass up a road trip!" he laughed. They all piled into the sleigh and were off, racing through the hills. Elsa was glad she had worn her fur coat, as the wind chilled her down to her core, which was saying something. The two couples cuddled together for warmth, as Sven bounded through the woods.

Kai and Gerda were left in charge of Arendelle, and were told that if Hans or Briarvale tried anything funny, attack them on sight. It was a bit forward for Arendelle standards, but Elsa wasn't taking any risks.

The rhythm of the sleigh bouncing over the roads made Elsa tired. She eventually drifted off, probably drooling onto Stian's shoulder.

When she awoke, they had come to a stop. This didn't look like the Valley of the Living Rock.

"Why'd we stop?" Elsa yawned.

"Just taking inventory. Sven needed a break." Kristoff said as he and his reindeer shared a carrot. Stian, Anna, and Olaf were missing from the sleigh.

"Where'd the others go?" Elsa asked.

"Just to go explore."

"Explore?"

"They were bored, I guess." Kristoff shrugged. Elsa rolled her eyes. In hindsight, the people most likely to run off were Stian and Anna. Those two were more alike than she'd care to think about. Both clumsy, quirky, and hilarious.

"I'm gonna go find them." Elsa said, stepping out of the sleigh. That's when she heard it. A loud explosion from a few miles into the forest. "What was that?" she asked, panicking.

"I don't know. Sven, wait here!" Kristoff ordered.

"I'm going with you!" Elsa said, throwing her coat off. Hey, it was heavy.

"No, you need to stay here and watch Sven."

"What? No! Stian, Anna, and Olaf were in the forest. Which way did they go?" Elsa asked.

"The direction of that explosion? That's where they went." Kristoff said. Elsa felt tears come to her eyes.

No.

Not again.

She wasn't loosing the people she loved.

Not like this.

"Elsa..." Kristoff warned.

Elsa looked down. The light frost that had covered the forest was now suspended a few inches in the air. She exhaled, and it fell back down. She waved her hands over her body. Ice coated her body, and formed a dress. A long transparent cape spread from her shoulders. Hey, she needed something comfortable to wear. She undid her hair into a single braid. Just like the good old days.

"Let's go." she said.

"Nice costume change, but you're still not changing my mind, Elsa. You need to stay here." Kristoff said.

"Fine." Elsa peered into the forest, and ran. She ran faster than she ever had in her life.

"Elsa!" Kristoff called after her. She didn't stop. She heard footsteps behind her, and eventually beside her. "Alright, I guess we're in this together." Kristoff breathed. Elsa nodded.

Together, they ran towards whatever the sound was. Something worried Elsa more than the sound, though. It was the fact that something was rising up from where the sound had been. Something she'd done a long time ago, and something that had taken great magical powers. Whoever was making this was strong. Crazy strong. She gazed into the air, watching spires rise stories and stories. This was bad. Elsa caught her breath. It stood a few miles ahead of the two.

A massive, sharp, obsidian castle.


	17. Chapter 17

PSA: If any of you would like to know how Asle sounds in my mind, go ahead and listen to this deleted scene from Frozen. That about sums up Asle.

( theladyelsa . tumblr. com)

/post/77792373451/audio-of-idina-as-evil-elsa-from-the-deleted

* * *

Chapter 17

Anna

* * *

Anna had never seen any other castle that could compare to Elsa's, but when this one rose from the ground, it threw her completely off guard.

She, Stian, and Olaf were walking through the brush, talking and generally having a good time. Then it sounded like something had exploded. Anna was thrown off her feet, and hit her head pretty hard against the ground. Her vision went blurry, and she could only hear a ringing in her ears. The ringing started to fade as she heard an echoey, distant voice.

"-Gotta... Anna... Hurry!" it said. Anna rolled, now laying in her back. The sounds became gradually clearer.

"Grab Anna! We... Sleigh!" the voice said. It was Stian. Anna tried to get up, but the pain in her head throbbed, prompting her not to move. She felt herself be picked up, and slung over something. Probably Stian's shoulder. Anna couldn't think much, it hurt too bad. They moved a few yards before Anna's vision cleared completely. The sounds she heard were still muffled, but she could see.

She was draped over Stian's shoulder, and the King was slowly making his way back to Kristoff and Elsa at the sleigh, with Olaf in tow. That's when Anna saw dark pillars rise from the ground.

"Stian..." she moaned.

"It'll be... Anna, just... in there." Stian tried to comfort her. She could hear the terror in his voice. Anna saw beams rising from the ground behind her, slowly gaining on the three.

"Stian..." she said again, trying to get his attention. Stian turned his head around, and his face turned to pure terror.

"What's wrong?" Olaf asked.

"Asle... Here. How did she get... so soon?" he asked. Anna's hearing starting clearing up. She could almost make out the small trail they'd made in the forest. They were on the right track.

Suddenly, everything stopped. Sound, movement, everything.

"Stian?" Anna asked, concerned.

"Hold on." he said. The three friends were hefted into the air, about three stories. Then they were dropped. Anna saw the ground closing in on her, and closed her eyes. She was ready.

* * *

Nope, she wasn't. The fall had knocked all three friends unconscious.

When they woke up, they were surrounded from the shoulders down in solid black stone, obsidian probably. Anna had studied such things. She looked to her left. Stian was still out cold. His usual pale skin had turned a sickly white. There was a nasty spot of red staining his platinum blond hair. Probably where he landed. To her right, Olaf slept almost peacefully.

Anna held her eyes open for a few more seconds, before blacking out again.

* * *

This time she heard voices.

"Please just... Sister!" somebody called. She knew that voice.

"Elsa..." she tried. She must have heard Anna, because the Princess felt a cold hand on her cheek.

"It'll be okay. Just... Hang in there." Elsa comforted. Anna noticed Elsa was wearing an ice dress and had her hair braided over her shoulders, just like old times, before eyes rolled back in her head. She remained conscious. She heard everything.

"They're mine now. Anna has been for a while." said Elsa. No, this wasn't Elsa. This was definitely Asle. Anna wanted to see her in person, but could not open her eyes for the life of her.

"Just give us Anna. We'll bargain for the other two." she heard Kristoff say.

What? No!

"Kristoff... No..." Anna said, her voice deep and raspy.

"It's okay Anna. Hold on." Kristoff said, this time his hand on her cheek.

"I _do_ enjoy a bargain. Go on." Asle said.

"We get my Sister back now. And... You- you can keep Stian and Olaf until we defeat you." Elsa said.

Asle laughed, "Until you defeat me? Fine. I'll tell them you betrayed them, and abandoned them-"

"No!" Elsa tried. Asle didn't stop talking.

"They'll lose hope, and maybe even join my ranks."

"I don't see any ranks." Kristoff said bravely. Anna heard Asle laugh her terrible laugh again, before the wind picked up in the room. Anna held her eyes open long enough to see dark figures raising out of the ground. Elsa stood on her left, Kristoff on her right, both ready for what would prove to be an impossible fight.

"Take the girl and go." Asle said. Anna felt the rock crumble beneath her. She was immediately picked up by Kristoff. She heard footsteps on stone, as the three of them escaped the castle. Stone turned to grass, which turned to snow. It hadn't snowed at all that day. Something told Anna her Sister was causing this. Who would blame her? She'd just saved Anna, dumb little Anna, instead of the love of her life. But something made Anna sadder than everything else. She wanted to curl up and die when she heard it.

Her Sister's sobbing.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Kristoff

* * *

20 Minutes Earlier...

* * *

"How are we supposed to get in? I don't see any doors." Kristoff asked, feeling around the dark walls for some entrance in. Elsa was silent. "Do you know any way?" he asked. "Elsa?"

"Hold on!" she called back. Kristoff heard a rumbling noise. "Found one!" she yelled. Kristoff ran around to Elsa. The structure was octagonal, rising up into the sky, eventually coming to a point. Four pillars rose around it, making a square. It almost looked like those pictures of Hagia Sophia that Kristoff saw in the library in the Castle.

A small hole, about three feet wide, led deep inside the Castle. Darkness was all there was a few feet into the tunnel. Kristoff looked at Elsa.

"You first." she said. Kristoff rolled his eyes, and climbed into the hole. It was snug, and that made him concerned.

"Will it get tighter further in?" he asked.

"Maybe. I don't know. Hurry up." Elsa said behind him. She was testy. Kristoff didn't blame her. The two people she loved most in this world, Anna and Stian, were in that Castle somewhere, doing who knows what.

"Faster, Kristoff."

"I'm trying."

"Elsa, calm down."

"Why?"

"There's frost on the walls." when Kristoff said that, Elsa froze. He knew he shouldn't make her even more scared in a situation like this, but he guessed they were both testy. "Sorry."

"No, it's okay. Let's just get in, grab those three, and get out okay?"

"Sure thing."

"Hey, there's a bit of a dip up here, just be caref-" Kristoff felt wind on his face. He was sliding downward. He heard Elsa's exited yelp behind him as she hit the slide too. They slid down for a few seconds.

"You okay?" Elsa asked.

"Yeah. We must be underground now. How did Asle manage all this?"

"Keep moving."

They continued down the shaft, until it opened up into a small room. It was a square, with nothing inside. It was barren.

"Room up here. Get ready to jump. It's about eight feet to the bottom." Kristoff told her.

"Alright." Elsa muttered. Kristoff dropped to the floor, trying to make as little noise as possible. Elsa followed, making even less noise, with even less effort. "Which way?" she asked. Kristoff studied their surroundings. The small square room had an open doorway, which led into a forked hallway. One side went into darkness, the other side was lit with white crystals coming from the wall.

"I'm saying right. There's light that way." Kristoff said.

"Left it is." Elsa decided.

"What?"

"This is exactly what Asle wants us to do. She knows we'll follow the light. We need to go into darkness." Elsa reasoned, brushing her hair back.

"How do you know?" Kristoff asked.

"She's me. Trust me on this one."

Kristoff didn't argue. Elsa conjured a small snowball above her palm, which cast a faint blue glow around them. Their shadows stretched on the obsidian walls like otherworldly creatures. They walked down the long corridor for a few minutes, jumping at every shadow that was in every corner. They eventually found their way into a large, octagonal room. Kristoff decided that they had reached the main structure, after wandering in the underground tunnels. Kristoff spied three mounds on the other side of the room. Faces stuck out of the top, like they'd been surrounded with obsidian. One of the faces stuck out immediately to Kristoff.

"Anna!" he ran to his Wife, careful not to make much noise. She was encased in obsidian from the shoulders down, and she was unconscious. She had a nasty bruise on her face, and a cut lip. "Don't worry, we'll get you out of-" Kristoff was interrupted again. His feet slowly left the ground, and he saw he was surrounded by a thin black fog.

"What? Elsa!" Kristoff called. The Queen remained on the ground, shocked.

"Oh, silence." a voice commended. The mist shifted around him, making a wind current. The current propelled him into one of the large stone walls. Kristoff felt the air leave his lungs, and toppled down to the ground. He brushed himself off, and turned to Elsa. She was in the air, like he was, except she could move. Frosty wind left her palms, dispersing the dark mist. She landed on the ground, gracefully.

"You're experienced." the voice said again. Elsa's eyes focused on a corner of the room.

"Kristoff, move!" Elsa called, with panic in her voice. Kristoff didn't see anything, but he rolled to the left. A razor sharp pillar of obsidian rose from the ground a few yards in front of where he had just been, the sharp point impaling the air where he had once stood.

"Elsa, how-"

"Again!" Elsa commanded. Kristoff didn't question it this time, and rolled again. Another pillar shot from the ground, and nearly sliced his arm.

Elsa conjured the icy wind again, and shot it into the dark corner of the room she'd been studying. Kristoff heard a gasp, and the tendrils of wind came back to Elsa. Wrapped in the icy gale, was Asle herself.

She looked far from panicked, and simply wove her hands around. The dark mist dispersed the wind, and Asle slowly descended to the ground.

"Of course, not as experienced as me." Asle smiled. Elsa stepped back, surprised at seeing herself reflected with such... Evil. Asle made her hand into an open fist, and Elsa immediately fell to her knees in pain.

"Elsa!" Kristoff called, running to her aid.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Asle pointed her other palm at Kristoff. He was once again suspended by the dark mist, a few feet in the air. He couldn't breathe this time. "Now Elsa, tell me. What is it you fear most?" Asle asked. Kristoff saw Elsa slowly, against her will, walk to the Evil Queen. Dark, misty rays penetrated Elsa's chest, directly entering her heart.

Asle nodded, as if somebody were talking to her. ""I see. How sweet."

"Asle..."

"Yes, yes, what is it?" Asle asked.

"You're not... Getting away with this..." Elsa tried.

"What? Elsa, I already have. See over there? That's your Sister, your Husband, and one of your best friends. See over there? The man who helped you in here? He's dying. Slowly, of course. I love a show."

Now that she said it, Kristoff felt the air leaving his lungs. But that wasn't just it. He felt lighter, but heavier at the same time. His eyes went down to his arms, and saw the veins, turning slowly dark purple.

"El...sa..." Kristoff wailed.

"Let him... Go..." Elsa pleaded.

"Why should I?"

"He's special. He's...family..."

"Family? I remember when I had family. I was engaged to married once, too. I killed them. All of them. My Father, Mother, Sister... My betrothed."

"You killed them?! You're a monster!"

"I know, Elsa. I know."

"You were... Engaged... What was his name?" Elsa asked. Kristoff looked down again, his veins were now a dark black. He felt the contents of his stomach wanting to empty themselves. Time was running out.

"Elsa..!" Kristoff said again. Elsa disregarded him.

"His name? Why would that matter? Names have power you know-"

"Sitna."

"What?"

"His name... Was Sitna wasn't it?" Elsa asked. Kristoff noticed her inner pain. Every few seconds, a few muscles would spasm, and her eye would twitch. This wasn't good.

"How- how do you..? Never mind." Asle said. Kristoff felt the wind cease, and fell to the ground, gasping for breath. His stomach did, indeed, empty itself onto the dark floor. He'd be embarrassed if this wasn't a life or death scenario. Elsa also was relieved of her pain. Had Asle given up? Asle turned her back to the Snow Queen. Asle walked to the far end of the room, where she sat in a small black throne.

"Asle! Sitna's... Still alive..." Kristoff panted.

"Impossible."

"What do we do?" he whispered to the Queen.

"The shadows... This place is so dark. What can we do? They're trapped." Elsa said, hopelessly. Her eyes darted to the mound where Anna was suspended. Kristoff could also hear small sounds coming from Anna's mouth. Elsa ran to the casing.

"Kill them!" Asle shouted.

"Please! Just... Let go of my Sister!" Elsa begged. Anna's eyes were almost opened.

"Elsa..." she gurgled. She didn't sound good at all. Elsa put her hand on Anna's cheek.

"It'll be okay. Just hang in there." Elsa said in a hushed tone. Asle spoke from her perch.

"They're mine now. Anna has been for a while." Asle chided.

"Just give us Anna. We'll bargain for the other two." Kristoff shouted. He couldn't believe he just said that.

"Kristoff... No..." Anna tried again. The shadows immediately faded. Asle stood up from her throne.

"I _do_ enjoy a bargain." she laughed.

"Wha-... Right. Kristoff and I will make a deal with you. For Stian and Olaf." Elsa said. She'd caught on to his plan.

"We get my Sister back now. And... You- you can keep Stian and Olaf until we defeat you." Elsa said.

Asle laughed, "Until you defeat me? Fine. I'll tell them you betrayed them, and abandoned them-"

"No! I meant-"

"They'll lose hope, and maybe even join my ranks."

"I don't see any ranks." Kristoff said, examining the empty room. Asle laughed, and waved her hands. All around the room, the shadows from the corners stretched and changed. They were now humanoid, spread out against the ground. They slowly rose, becoming almost whispy people. They stood about eight feet tall, with sharp, long fingers, and red, beady eyes.

"Take the girl and go." Asle said.

What?

The rock beneath Anna crumbled. Kristoff scooped her up in his arms, and looked to Elsa. She was still striving to free Stian and Olaf from their impossible prisons.

"Elsa, we gotta go!" Kristoff called.

"Yes. Flee, Snow Queen. Or my friends here will make sure you never leave."

"Stian!" she cried. Kristoff turned Elsa to face her.

"We need to go."

Elsa nodded reluctantly, as a small hold appeared in a dark corner of the room.

"Run." Asle commanded.

They sure did. Kristoff noticed Elsa begin to cry, as stone became grass. They were in the forest again. Why was she just letting them escape? Why was she fine with them taking back Anna? They had to go back. Kristoff knew about his plan.

Next time they were going back, they were bringing light.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Stian

* * *

He dreamt he was sinking in dark waters. The weight that was over his body was near to crushing him, and he couldn't move. He wasn't breathing, but he wasn't suffocating. His eyes stared straight up, looking at the light reflecting off the top of the water, knowing he'd never be in that light ever again.

Unless...

He tried moving one arm. Nothing. The other arm? Still nothing. He knit his brow. He could move his face. Alright, time to move to the shoulders. He slowly rolled his shoulders, and eventually raised his arms above him. He examined his hands, and saw them reflect the dim light that shown down on him from above. He slowly shifted, now falling vertically instead of horizontally. He looked below himself, and saw the bottom of the waters. His foot hit the bottom, when the blinding light that was shining from above the water went out.

Darkness overcame him. He felt numb. He started to panic.

He was scared.

* * *

He awoke, encased in stone from the shoulders down.

"You're awake." Somebody called. He shook his head confused. "Stian, you're awake." the voice called again. Was it referring to him? He looked up.

A beautiful woman was approaching him, cautiously.

"What?" he asked.

"You're awake!" she smiled. She was dressed in a dress that looked like it was made out of the stone he was encased in, probably obsidian. Her black hair was in a braid over her left shoulder, with her bangs stuck up against her head. She looked amazing.

"Who are-?"

"Me? Oh, um... I'm here trying to help you." she said.

"Help me?"

"You were in danger, Stian. Those intruders... They harmed you didn't they?" she asked. The woman put her hand to his head. He felt an intense shooting pain, and nearly blacked out again. The woman noticed, and stepped back in a hurry. "Sorry."

"It's... It's fine. What'd you say happened?" he asked.

"You don't remember, Stian?" she asked.

"Stian?"

"Your name?"

"That's my name?"

"Oh no. It's worse than I thought. They gave you amnesia, didn't they?" she asked.

"What? Who's they? Who are you?" Stian asked.

"You don't remember me either? Oh..." she said, her voice faltering. The rock around Stian crumbled, and he fell into a heap in the ground. He felt warm arms embrace him. He smiled. This feeling was better than what he was feeling in his dream. "You'll be alright. I promise." she whispered.

"Your... name?" Stian asked.

"Oh, right." she wiped her eyes with her wrist.

"I'm Asle. Your Fiancee."

"I'm... Marrying you?" Stian asked, putting his hand to his forehead. When he returned his hand to his side, something caught his eye. His hand was stained red. Blood.

"You... Were. I guess you don't know me well enough now, though." Asle said, looking distraught.

"No! No, I'm sorry. Look... I just need some time to figure this out..." Stian said, panting. He felt cold. Asle noticed his look, and put her hand on the wound. Stian felt an intense heat, then a soothing sensation.

"There." Asle smiled. Stian looked into her eyes. They seemed so familiar but so... So unnatural. They almost glowed in the shadows of the room they were in. Where were they again?

"Where are we?" Stian asked, looking around, the pain slowly disappearing.

"Our Castle. We were on a journey. I made this place to give us shelter but... Some people broke in. They sacked the place, and knocked me out. I guess you know what they did to you."

"Did you catch them?" Stian asked.

Asle perked up, "One of them. That snowman." she pointed. Next to where Stian still knelt was another, smaller, obsidian casing around somebody. Except there wasn't a human in this one. Stian thought he'd misheard Asle when she said 'snowman.' Now he could see that she was not exaggerating at all. Poking it's head out of the top of the mound, was a snowman. He was still asleep, but he had a large carrot nose, a single tooth, and three twigs rising from the top of his head. He didn't look too threatening.

"What'd they do?" Stian asked.

"I guess they just wanted valuables. They didn't find any, so they left. What about your ice?" Asle asked, resting her head on Stian's shoulder. Ice?

"What do you mean ice?" Stian asked. Asle shrugged.

"Never mind." she grinned.

"What were their names?" Stian asked.

"Well, they did call to each other. Don't be afraid to get a little angry, okay?" Asle looked at him with pleading eyes.

"What? I mean... Okay..." Stian said, not sure.

"Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff. That snowman is called Olaf. They tried to kill us." Asle said, tearing up at remembering their names.

That name...

Elsa.

Where did he know that name?

"You... You said something about... Elsa?" Stian tried.

Asle stiffened, "She's their ringleader. She gave you that head-wound. She was a monster, she told them not to spare us." Asle said.

"But she did..."

"She's bad news, Stian. Now, join me?" Asle asked, standing up.

"For what?" Stian rose to his feet.

"Revenge. We need to find these three and kill them."

"Kill them? Asle, are you sure revenge is the right way to go about this-"

"Don't tell me they changed you too? Stian, please. I love you. They need to pay." Asle said, looking deep into his eyes. Stian could see where she was coming from.

"Fine. Where do we start?" he asked, reluctantly.

"We start with the Queen."

"The Queen?"

"Elsa."

Stian thought for a bit about this. This "Elsa" seemed to be a monster. Barging into somebodies shelter, trying to rob the place, but when she couldn't find anything, just deciding to kill whoever was in the shelter? That hardly seemed right at all. And they had this Olaf as a way to find the three. This would be easy, but something in the back of Stian's mind screamed he should grab the snowman and run. What could be wrong with Asle, though? She was smart, beautiful, and knew how to get things done. Stian decided. That was that. But what if... No.

"Fine," he shook his head, "Let's kill Elsa."


	20. Chapter 20

Anybody else think Idina rocked it at the Oscars? I'd just like to say congratulations to the whole Frozen team! You guys made, probably, the best Disney movie I've ever seen. Thank you. Did anybody see Idina on Jimmy Fallon tonight, too? Tears were brought to my eyes. I'm too manly.

Anyways, let's check in with Idina Menzel's alter ego, Elsa.

* * *

Chapter 20

Anna

* * *

She slowly came to, feeling the heat of the fire all around her. Anna stretched, and yawned. She rolled over, and tried to go back to sleep. Then she remembered. Anna shot straight up.

The three of them sat around a campfire, Kristoff and Sven to her left, Elsa sitting on the other side of the fire, resting against a tree. Anna studied her surroundings. It was night, probably late. Kristoff looked like he had tried to get some sleep, but had woken up many times. Elsa, on the other hand, looked absolutely exhausted. She was dressed in her ice dress that she'd worn when the Eternal Winter incident was going on. She looked exactly the same.

"Elsa..?" Anna asked, quietly. Only the sound of the crackling fire answered her. Kristoff put his arm around Anna.

"Just... Let her be." he whispered.

Elsa was surrounded by a small layer of frost, surrounding her at all sides, unaffected by the fire.

"You... You guys left Stian and Olaf behind." she whispered.

"Trust me. We'll get them back. Stian just needs to wake up, and if he and Elsa both use their powers to overpower Asle, we can get both of them out of there. It seems simple, but..."

"But what?"

"Elsa's... Not it the best of shapes right now... You should go talk to her. I've tried, but she won't say anything." He said, petting Sven. Anna stood up, and went to the other side of the fire. She sat down next to her Sister. Elsa's face was hidden in the shadows, but Anna knew it probably didn't look to flattering.

"Elsa?" Anna asked timidly. Nothing.

"Look... Elsa, I know it's hard-"

"Just... Leave me alone." Elsa whispered. Anna stopped for a moment.

"We have to go back for them. Elsa, we can save Olaf and Stian. Listen, it'll be easy. Get in, get those two, get out. You did it last time with me."

"We almost didn't."

"But you _did_. Elsa, don't forget your baby girl at home. Neiva has a Father, and you have a Husband. We all owe him this." Anna said, putting her hand on Elsa's cold shoulder. Elsa wiped her face, and moved from the shadows. It was red from all the crying, and her makeup had smeared. She wiped it off her face, looking more natural than Anna's seen her in a long time. Anna went back to Kristoff.

"Who knows if Stian's in any condition to use his powers?"

"Hmm... Good point. When are we going back?" Anna asked.

"Tomorrow morning, well, I guess it'd be this morning. A few hours." Kristoff shrugged.

"We should really get some sleep." Anna insisted.

"Trust me, I've tried."

"Well, I'm bushed. See you two in the morning." Anna said, laying down on her back. Kristoff joined her. They peered up at the sky, at the stars.

"They're beautiful tonight." Kristoff said.

"They sure are." Anna smiled. Anna cuddled up to him, and Kristoff let out a sigh.

"Things are changing, aren't they?" he asked.

"What?" Anna asked, facing him, her blue eyes gazing into his.

"I mean... Elsa and Stian are Queen and King... We've got a new Princess of Arendelle, we're married now. The only one who's life hasn't changed drastically is Olaf's."

"He's only a year old."

"Still." Kristoff said, they both laughed. Anna immediately felt bad, gazing at her cowering Sister on the other side of the fire.

"Elsa, come here." Anna said, opening up her arms. Elsa didn't move. "Come on, now! Don't play that game with me. Elsa, I love you. You're my Sister. I'm supposed to help you when you're scared. Come here."

Elsa shifted, and turned to face the two. She slowly made her way to her Sister, and also reclined back onto Sven's furry body.

"I'm sorry you two. It's just... So much is happening." Elsa wiped her eyes.

"Don't even get me started on Hans." Anna rolled her eyes.

"Your Majesties!" came a voice from the forest.

"Speaking of Hans..." Elsa said, slowly rising to her feet, ready to freeze him. The Prince himself emerged from the trees, riding a horse. He wasn't in his rags anymore, in fact, he looked quite Princely again. Clean shaven, and fancy dress.

"What are you doing here?" Anna asked, taking a spot next to her Sister, fists at the ready.

"I came alone... And unarmed! Three more element bearers have arrived in Arendelle." Hans breathed. Elsa lowered her hands.

"Three?"

"Yuri put out an order for them. Quite a few people showed up, but only three demonstrated their powers. We have both masters of stone, and one more master of fire, Cassius." he reported.

"And the bearers of stone?" Elsa asked.

"Elizabeth and Joseph. Twins, from Britain." Hans said, dismounting his horse.

"Britain." Kristoff's eyes grew large. Anna knew he always wanted to travel.

"That means there's... One more. Energy." Anna said.

"That's not why I came here. Where have you guys been?" Hans asked.

"Asle's got Olaf and Stian. We're going to save them." Elsa said.

"Count me in." Hans put his hand out to Elsa. The Queen did nothing.

"Why should we trust you?" she asked. Hans frowned.

"I'm trying everything I can to prove this to you, Elsa. I am, really. I've recruited Elemental Bearers, and I've defended Arendelle from Briarvale for the past few days. Please, just accept me."

"We'll see. Until then, we are allies. _Not_ friends." Elsa shook his hand.

"Where do we start?" Hans asked.

Anna pointed, "There."

Hans looked in the direction she was pointing. He whistled.

"Some castle. Let's go."

"Now?" Kristoff asked. Hans stopped.

"Yeah, now! Why not?"

"Good point." he said, grabbing his pickaxe. Anna swallowed. All right. Here they go.

"Let's go get back my husband." Elsa said, frost coming from her lungs.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Hans

* * *

He knew he'd have a tough time proving it to them. He knew he'd have to do more than just promise to be better, so he'd gone and rallied military support for Arendelle, should they need it. He'd recruited three bearers of the elements, and he'd gone out to personally search for Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and the King in case they needed his help. Now, Hans was glad he did.

He tried to convince them he had changed, but something in him made him question himself. What it his head went bad again? What if plots entered his mind? What if he... He tried something he'd regret? The last time he'd been given probation, he'd worked his way back to Arendelle, illegally, and teamed up with the Ice Elves. After he had arrived home after being sent back again, he'd been accused to treason, and sentenced to death. He'd sat in a jail cell for months, waiting. News came to him that Queen Elsa had married the other one, whom Hans had also tried to kill. Later, news came that they had a child. Hans knew he was a monster, but something touched him. He wanted to help. He thought it a false feeling, switching sides all of the sudden, but the feeling had persisted. Hans tried to keep it that way.

"A bit further." Kristoff said, as they climbed a small, sloped hill up to the black tower standing before them. Hans had been to Istanbul twice in his life, and the Castle seemed to be a mirror image of Hagia Sophia, except made completely out of jagged obsidian, albeit on a bit of a smaller scale.

"Ready?" Anna tossed a rope down a deep, dark hole in the side of the Castle.

"I'll go first." Elsa volunteered.

"No, Elsa. I'll go first, I don't want you getting hurt." Hans offered.

"Thanks, but no thanks." Elsa said, sliding her slender body into the dark shoot. She slid down, until she vanished into the shadows. Anna was next. Kristoff then shoved Hans foreword.

"Go on." he said. Hans understood why he didn't want to leave him to last. Maybe he'd try something. Alright.

Hans lowered his body into the darkness, and began to crawl. It was tight. Hans often got claustrophobic, and the darkness wasn't helping his situation either.

"Look out for the drop." Kristoff yelled from behind him.

"That what- AHHHH!" Hans shrieked as he slid a few yards downward. He was now underground. He kept going until he reached an opening. Anna and Elsa were waiting for them at the bottom. Hans leapt from the shaft, and stretched his body, glad to be out of the tight spaces. He looked around, though, to find them still in mild darkness. He heard Kristoff fall from behind him.

"Let's go." Elsa said, starting through the doorway, into a large hallway. The group walked for a good ten minutes, to no avail. It was a straight hallway that went on forever into the inky blackness.

"This isn't right..." Kristoff said, squinting as he walked.

"Kristoff has got a point. We should be in the main chamber by now." Elsa observed.

"Is Asle... Changing the castle around?" Anna asked.

"I don't know-" Kristoff stopped, as he heard a small noise from behind him, "Just keep moving."

Boy, did they. Hans had to stop for rest a few times, before continuing on the the group that never seemed to tire. They entered a room, about the size of the Throne Room in Arendelle.

"Hmm... No, this isn't right. This isn't the room from last time." Kristoff rubbed his chin.

"What makes you think that?" came a voice. The room suddenly expanded, with sharp, jagged spikes of stone remaining, making the room a deathtrap. Above them, sitting in black throne, was Asle herself.

"Surrender!" Hans drew his sword. Asle scoffed, flicked her hand, and black mist blew into Hans' hand, forcing the sword from his grip. It fell uselessly across the room, and shattered against the wall.

"You!" Hans heard Elsa call. "Where's Stian? Where's Olaf?" she demanded.

"Oh! That reminds me! There's someone I want you to meet." Asle clapped her hands. A slab of obsidian behind her sank into the floor. From the darkness emerged... Somebody.

He was clothed in what Hans could only describe as a male version of Elsa's icy dress, but it was solid black, like the castle. He wore a robe, hood drawn. His hair stuck out, and contrasted against the robes, being a bright platinum blonde, just like Elsa's. His blue eyes almost seemed to pierce right through Hans' heart.

"Stian!" Elsa smiled. Stian said nothing. Elsa hesitated, then tried again. "We're here to save you!"

"I don't need saving." Stian said.

"You don't?" Anna asked. Stian shifted his foot in such a way, that the whole room seemed to rotate. Maybe it did. It was dark. Hans stood back to back with Elsa now.

"What are you-?" Elsa called, before it happened again, this time throwing both of them to the floor. Hans looked around desperately for Kristoff and Anna, but they were nowhere to be seen.

"Silence!" Stian called, putting his palm flat against the wall. It curved and bent, making Hans motion sick. It was like he was standing in a large bubble of tar, constantly moving, growing, and shrinking.

"Stop!" Hans called. To his surprise, he did. Hans looked around. The room was now even bigger, almost the size of a cathedral. Elsa struggled to her feet.

"Stian! Why are you doing this?" she asked.

"Asle's shown me a lot. She's told me about what you've done." Stian growled. Hans couldn't see the Dark Queen anymore, but Stian was still clearly in front of them.

"She's what?" Hans asked, before being thrown to the ground again, the floor moving underneath him. Elsa remained unmoved. She shot a blast of ice towards Stian, easily deflected it somehow with his hand.

"Who's the real monster here?" Stian asked.

"She is!" Elsa tried throwing ice again, to the same effect.

"I can hear her now, just like Anna." Stian said.

"Just like..." Elsa's voice broke. Hans stepped in, and charged Stian. He didn't know what he was going to do, and it turned out it didn't matter. Hans clenched his hand into a fist, which was grabbed by Stian. Hans looked into his eyes, terrified.

"You're scared aren't you?" Stian asked. Hans nodded. Stian smiled. His grip on Hans' hand increased. Hans cried and begged for him to stop, but his grip only increased.

"Please!" Hans pleaded. He heard a few sickening cracks, before Stian flung him to the side, Hans' back hitting the hard wall.

"Stian! How could you-"

"Silence!" Stian called again, trying not to face Elsa. Hans didn't dare remove his glove, his hand was definitely broken.

"Stian, look at me!" Elsa begged.

"I'll...I'll kill you... Both of you..."

"Look at me!"

"Soon!"

"Look at me!"

"No!" he cried. Stian lowered his head, and fell to his knees. "Stop yelling!" he wailed. Hans didn't hear anything. "Stop! I'm sorry! I'm trying!" Stian roared. Elsa ran to her husband, who tried to hold her back. Hans could see his breath, and hear the air crackle. It was colder, now that he thought about it.

"Stian! Listen to my voice! I know you can hear me." she said, soothingly.

"Stop it! All you, stop it! **Gah, the voices!**" Stian clutched his head. Ice spread all over the floor.

"What happened?" Elsa asked.

"Asle... Olaf is okay... No, stop it! Just **stop it!**" he begged.

"Who are you talking to?" Hans asked.

"Look at me. Stian." Elsa tried. Stian let go of his head, and slowly turned to the Queen. The room shifted again, but Hans knew this time that it wasn't Stian. In front of Hans stood somebody similar. Like Asle had looked like Elsa, this guy looked like Stian.

"Elsa, stand back." he said.

"Sitna? No! I'm not-"

"Elsa!"

"I'm not leaving him!"

"Where did you come from?" Hans asked, still clutching his hand.

"Nobody showed up in The Valley of the Living Rock for two days. I got worried. It looks like for a good reason." Sitna said, examining the room. It turned again, until a whole new scene unfolded. Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf knelt on the ground, surrounded by black fog. Hans knew the fog was trying to force them to bow. Asle stood in front of the three, a twisted smile across her face. Her eyes shifted to Hans, then to Sitna. They grew to the size of saucers. She lowered her hands, and the fog faded. All three of her captives fell to the ground, exhausted.

"But... You're-" Asle starting.

"Angry." Sitna finished. A flick of his wrist, and more black mist gathered around Asle. She struggled, but Sitna had overpowered her. "Go!" he said. Elsa looked up to the man, and nodded.

"Come on." she said, trying to heft Stian up. Hans came to her aid, and threw his arm around his shoulder. Elsa threw Stian's other arm around her shoulder, as well.

"Elsa..!" Anna realized. She rose to her feet, and started for her Sister. Anna froze when she got closer. "It's cold."

"Come on!" Hans called.

"This isn't good." Kristoff said, picking an unconscious Olaf up into his arms.

"**Leave me alone!**" Stian screamed.

"Who's he talking to?" Anna asked.

"Myself." he said calmly. Hans saw Sitna flex his fist, and a whole section of the large wall sunk into the ground, bathing the whole castle in sunlight. Asle flinched in pain.

"Hurry!" Sitna pleaded.

"Stian, what did you say before... About Anna?" Elsa tried. Stian said nothing. They ventured out into the sunlight. Out into safety.

Or so they thought.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Stian

* * *

He didn't know what to think. As they dragged him out of the now collapsing castle, the voices in his head didn't stop.

One of them was rational, the other sincere.

"Look at yourself! This isn't what's right! Asle told you all about this woman, she's a monster!" One roared.

"You need to remember. Please, your past is all to important to forget." the other spoke. The pain in Stian's head only increased as each of the voices argued in his mind. He heard other voices, of course, actually speaking to him, but they were faint and distant. What had happened? What had he done to deserve this? His vision was blurred, and his hands weak. He couldn't force himself to stand, or walk. He was far too weak. What remained of Asle? And Sitna?

It was like he was three separate people. Who he thought he was, somebody loyal to Asle, helping her cleanse the world of evil, somebody who was helpless, and had nothing filling the space in his mind, and another. He was a... He was...

Stian couldn't remember. He felt his back being laid down onto the ground, the soft grass acting as a sort of mat. He felt hands on his face, and something, somebody, up against his right side.

"...Alright?" asked a voice.

"Stian, now's your chance! Destroy them!" one voice said.

"No, Stian! You love them, remember? Remember!" the other tried.

He didn't know.

"Help..." Stian said, pained.

"...Trying." said another voice, a bit more distant than the last.

"...Please..." Stian said again.

"Destroy them!"

"Remember!"

"I'm trying!" Stian yelled at the voice.

"Try harder!"

Stian wailed, the pain in his head making him black out.

* * *

He awoke to silence. Stian's eyes widened. Silence. Finally. He opened his eyes to find it dark. He was surrounded on all sides by trees. A few yards in front of him was a sleigh, packed full of sleeping people, even a reindeer. Stian tried to stand, but was suddenly caught. He looked at his hands. They were bound to a tree, which he was propped up against. He couldn't move more than a few feet. The people in the sleigh were more apparent now, in the dim fire light. One, a rugged mountain man, a Sami. He cuddled up to a girl, probably the young age of nineteen, with strawberry blonde hair, and a large coat over herself, probably the Sami's.

In the back of the sled was a reindeer, sleeping peacefully. Snuggled up on the reindeer's mane, was the snowman, Olaf? Leaning back against the reindeer was the woman. Elsa. Her eyes were closed, and she breathed peacefully. Stian looked down at his bindings, then back to Elsa. Her face didn't... Look evil... Asle's on the other hand, was almost always enraged or cunning. Elsa's was soft, beautiful, and kind. The more he looked at her, the warmer he felt. He knew her...

Stian pulled at his binds. He didn't know what he'd do when he was free, he wasn't sure Asle was who she said she was. He looked once more at Elsa...

Images flashed in his mind, briefly.

A toy, a boat, a castle made completely of ice, a beautifully gowned woman, a baby.

Stian gripped his head, the pain returning. Elsa's eyes shot open. Stian heard her run to his side.

"You're okay... It'll be alright." she promised.

"Who are you?" Stian begged.

"I'm... I'm Elsa. You're-"

"My... My..." Stian was on the verge of remembering, before falling to his knees. The images flashed over and over again. They meant something. "A toy, a boat, an ice castle, a woman, a baby." Stian repeated.

"You're..! Stian, remember! Come on." Elsa touched his cheek. Stian felt blood rush to his head.

"My..." Stian's vision became clear. He looked deep into Elsa's eyes. He remembered.

"My Wife."

"Stian!"

"I love you." he said, just as everything went dark, and he blacked out again.


	23. Chapter 23

Hey, hey! It's Stian in his new garb!

(imgur . com)/ajCRQ0G

Just like Elsa.

* * *

Chapter 23

Elsa

* * *

Stian hadn't woken yet. He'd been asleep most of the day. Elsa was starting to get worried about him, until he woke again. This time, he was up for a while. Elsa sat across from him, just out of his reach. Just in case.

"You really don't remember _anything_?" Elsa asked. Stian folded his arms.

"No... Kind of... I don't know."

"Can you try to remember?" she asked again, scooting a bit closer.

"I've tried, but then things get... Loud."

"Loud?"

"Yeah. It's hard enough living with one voice in my head."

"Voices?"

"Not voices, per se. Thoughts. Feelings... Feeling for- uh, about people." Stian corrected himself. Elsa got even closer, now almost touching Stian.

"For people?" she asked. She swore she saw him blush.

"Yes."

Elsa smiled. "I know you're in there, Stian. If only _you_ knew."

"I..." Stian started to speak, but stopped. That goofy look on his face appeared. The one she loved him for. Elsa looked into his eyes, just as blue as hers, as Neiva's.

Elsa kissed him. Not a little peck, but a "I've missed you, don't ever go and do that to me again, I love you." kiss. One that made Anna and Kristoff both recoil, as Elsa heard an audible, "Ew."

Elsa remained there for who knew how long. She didn't want the moment to end. Her eyes fluttered barely open, and she saw Stian's wide open. His pupils were dilated, and he had a new look on his face. Elsa pulled back from the kiss.

"Stian?"

"Elsa... You... You're..."

"Sorry, I didn't- I mean, I know you don't remember, I'm sorry-" She let out a little squeak as his arms enveloped her. Stain drew her in close, and hugged her like never before. Elsa dug her face into his shoulder. She thought she would cry.

"You... You-"

"I remember. Elsa..." Stian's voice broke. "I'm so sorry."

Elsa started crying. Jeez, these waterworks.

"I love you." she whispered.

"I love you." he whispered back.

* * *

"So... What exactly did Asle mean... About Anna?" Hans asked. They'd since released Stian from his binds, and Stian had changed. Elsa could only describe it as icy kingly wear.

"Anna... This is... A bit much. You sure you can handle it?" Stian asked, fixing his collar.

"I'm sure." she confirmed.

"Asle placed darkness in your heart. But it looks like she chose the wrong person. Anna, a normal heart would immediately turn to darkness, like Asle's... But yours? It's resisting it. You can fight it. Asle told me a lot."

"How do I fight it?" Anna asked.

"Just be Anna. Your normal attitude is enough to stave off the darkness, but..."

"But what?" Kristoff asked. Olaf giggled.

"But... It won't be enough." Stian said.

"What do you mean?" Hans asked. Stian sat down in front of the fire. The others made a circle around him.

"Asle's trying to-"

"You're explaining the grand scheme, huh?" came a voice. From the trees emerged Sitna himself.

"Where's Asle? What happened?" Elsa asked.

"Back where she belongs. For now."

"Where does she belong?" Anna asked.

Sitna began talking, but Stian interrupted him, "Shadowside."

Sitna nodded.

"Shadowside. It's where we're both from. You could call it... Anti-Earth?" Sitna tried to explain.

"Anti-Earth?"

"This place is full of light. Earth has its spots of darkness, though, just like Shadowside had its spots of light."

"_Had_ spots of light?" Olaf asked, intrigued.

"Asle destroyed them all. See, she's got the gift of darkness, the opposite of light. Everything has balance. When Asle was born, so was I. We were darkness. There were two others in the Shadowside, two people with the gift of light." Sitna explained.

"What happened to them?" Elsa asked.

"Asle killed them. She wanted all the power. You were her next target. You were supposed to marry her, but you saw how crazy she was." Stian said.

"She had a look in her eye. It was animalistic. No way was she sane. She plays it off well enough, but I was scared for my life. We all have shadows... Elsa, yours is dangerous. You two are polar opposites."

"I'm sure we all know by now that you and Stian are opposites. Why are you helping us?" Kristoff asked.

"Our opposites aren't what define us. We carve our own destinies. It doesn't matter who we are. It doesn't matter where we came from," he motioned to Stian, "It doesn't matter what we think of the world," he said, motioning to Kristoff, "What we're afraid of," He said to Elsa, "Or how outgoing we are," he said to Anna, "We are all ourselves. Nobody can change that."

"So what does Asle want with Earth's light?" Elsa asked.

"She wants to fuse the Shadowside and Earth. What is the absence of both light and dark?" Sitna asked.

"Nothing?" Olaf guessed.

"Right. But Asle doesn't know that. I've tried to tell her, but she won't listen."

"How will she fuse the two?" Stian asked.

"The Conduit." Sitna said.

"Conduit?" they all asked. Sitna sighed.

"It's like a big door. It needs somebody from the world of light with a heart full of darkness. Anna, Asle thought she could change you. She couldn't. Your too fun, too happy."

"Thanks..?" Anna asked.

"So who is she looking for now?" Kristoff asked. They all looked to Hans.

"What?" he put his hands in the air, hurt.

"Not him. There's tons of light in his heart." Sitna said.

"What?" Anna looked at Hans, not believing it.

"Who could have more darkness than Hans?" Elsa asked.

"Hey!"

"I don't know. What I _do_ know, is that your neighboring kingdom is about to invade." Sitna said. Stian slapped his forehead.

"I completely forgot about Briarvale."

"We need to get back, then. The Trolls told me everything I need to know." Sitna geared Sven up to the reins, and Sven seemed to like him.

"What did they tell you?" Elsa asked, as they all gathered aboard the sleigh.

"Just enough." Sitna winked, as he flicked the reigns.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Anna

* * *

Anna was glad she had an explanation, but she was terrified what it meant. Sure, Anna was happy and outgoing, but what happened when she got angry? What happened when her emotions got the better of her?

She tried not to think about it, as the group made their way back to Arendelle. Once they were through the walls, they all made their way to the war room. It was dusty, and smelled of old books. Maps of the surrounding countries lay scattered across the walls, and a map of Arendelle and it's surrounding legal territory was spread across a large table, with lifelike landforms and bodies of water. Anna loved looking at it when she was younger, especially the North Mountain. It jutted a foot and a half from the table, and even had false snow on its peaks.

"Here's where Briarvale is, ready to invade." Hans pointed to the north of Arendelle, just outside the walls. "I put troops just inside the walls. They aren't ordered to attack unless attacked."

"Good." Elsa said. "What about the new defenses?"

"Your ice walls have strengthened the current walls, but they might soon start to melt-"

"They won't." Stian said.

"Okay... If Asle plans to get into Arendelle somehow, she just might make use of the Briarvale forces." Hans explained.

"Wait... You're saying Asle might ally herself with Briarvale?" Sitna asked.

"Yes."

"This isn't good at all. If any of these people have any darkness in their hearts-"

"Here's the predicament. Yuri and Jack have been staying down with the Guards since I placed them there a few days ago. They want to help." Hans said, removing his gloves. Anna examined the table, but didn't say anything.

"Jack... The one who controls stone? But... They have powers too. What if they cause, I don't know, unnecessary damage?" Kristoff asked.

"My thoughts exactly. Elsa, Stian? What do you think?"

Elsa was silent for a while, before answering. "I think that if they attack, all forces should be fair game. I don't want this crisis to escalate any further. We'll send Briarvale a message to withdraw their troops. If they don't well... I guess the current situation still stands." she began writing on a piece of parchment. Anna's eyes followed as squiggly, curvy letters were formed in the dark ink. Elsa was writing the withdrawal proposal. Anna had never been involved in anything this serious before...

"Anna, it's alright." Kristoff placed his arm around her. Anna realized she had begun to think negatively.

"What- what happened?" she asked.

"Your eyes, they just... Never-mind."

"No, what?"

"They were turning red."

Anna swallowed. She never knew how Elsa felt when they were growing up, but now she had a perfect understanding. Control it. Don't feel.

"Sorry."

"Don't be. Trust me." Elsa said, not taking her eyes of the parchment.

* * *

Anna reclined in the soft chair. The sun set through her window. She didn't know what to think.

"Don't be afraid." Kristoff said, entering the room. Anna sat up, looking serious.

"Afraid of what?" she asked.

"I know you know what I'm talking about."

"Sorry..."

"Don't be! Just like Elsa said, Anna. Be yourself. Don't be afraid. Listen, Asle chose you because she knew you had weaknesses. Don't fear anything. You're the strongest, smartest,"

"Don't say it..." Anna giggled.

"Best looking girl I've ever met. Anna, your personality should be enough to keep the darkness at bay." Kristoff said, sitting down next to her.

"What happens after we defeat Asle, if we do at all? Will the darkness just go away?" she asked, being purely honest. Kristoff thought.

"I don't know."

"Me neither. That's what makes me so scared."

"Anna, I know you're scared. I am too. But your Sister, Stian, Yuri, Malva, Jack, they all have gifts. I met with Jack and Elizabeth just now. Their twins, some of the nicest people I've ever met. All we need is two more. Then will have nine. Elsa, Stian, Yuri, Malva, Jack and Elizabeth. That's six people with powers out of the ten we have now. We already have more than half."

"Sitna and Asle count?" Anna asked.

"'Course they do. Sitna's on our side. The only one who isn't, so far, is Asle." Kristoff recounted.

"That makes me feel a little better." Anna smiled weakly. Kristoff thought, before speaking again.

"You know what would make you feel a lot better?" he asked. Anna shook her head.

"Come on." he held out his hand. Anna reluctantly took it, and Kristoff whisked her away. Down the corridors they ran, until they reached the ballroom. It was empty.

"What are we doing here?" Anna asked.

"This." Kristoff answered with a kiss. They began to dance. Anna laughed and laughed, and forgot where she was. It was only her and Kristoff. She wanted it to last forever...


	25. Chapter 25

Make sure to leave reviews! I read each and every one of them, and take them all into account. Oh, and it rocks to hear from you guys. Anyways, here's Chapter 25. I don't know what chapter I plan on ending on, but not anywhere near 30. Arendelle still has a few stories in store...

* * *

Chapter 25

Stian

* * *

Once Anna and Kristoff left the room, things got a bit heated. With only Elsa, Stian, Hans and Sitna present, things got a little harder to agree upon.

"What if worse comes to worst, what if Asle succeeds? What if the Conduit is opened?" Hans asked.

"If the Conduit is opened, the Human Race has about, ah, eleven minutes until reality ceases to exist." Stain answered.

"Okay, so not good."

"Nope."

"Okay... So what about Weaselton? Maybe we can get their alliance?" Elsa suggested. Stian shrugged.

"We've cut off all trade with them. I don't think so."

"Corona?" Elsa tried.

"Maybe... If we can come to some sort of agreement-"

"I'm sure we can. I'll put out a request." Elsa offered.

"No, we need to face this ourselves." Sitna said quietly.

"What?" Everybody asked.

"We already have the military of Arendelle and the Southern Isles. You saw what Asle could do, Elsa. First hand." He motioned to Stian.

"We need more help though. Briarvale isn't to be taken lightly." Stian said.

Sitna rested his shoulder on the table. "We also have seven people with powers in Arendelle, willing to help. Elsa, you saw what your powers were capable of a few years ago. Imagine that with seven more people causing it. That spells worldwide catastrophe."

"What do we do, then?" Elsa yelled.

"I suggest we find the other two element bearers we need, and wait this whole thing out. When Asle comes, we'll be ready. _If_ Briarvale invades, we'll be prepared. We may be overthinking this whole thing."

"I want to be sure my people are unharmed and-" Elsa was interrupted by the door swinging open. In burst Gerda, carrying a crying baby.

"Your Majesty, she won't stop-"

"It's fine. Give her here." Elsa held out her arms. Stian knew it had only been a few days since he'd seen Neiva last, but it felt like a billion lifetimes. He nearly teared up. The baby quieted to a whimper when she met eyes with her mother.

"Is this her?" Hans asked. Elsa suddenly turned pale.

"Yes..." she took a few steps back. Sitna examined Neiva.

"So this is her. The eleventh element bearer. You've caused quite a ruckus, little one." he smiled as he put his finger down, and she took it in her hand. Neiva giggled. Stian couldn't help but be happy. Here he was, the commander of darkness, and he was making friends with a two week old. Elsa smiled too. Stian couldn't help but notice Hans look a little downtrodden.

"...Hans?" Stian asked. Hans looked to him. Stian motioned for him to join them. He did, and looked carefully down at Neiva. He looked almost scared, not of anything but himself.

"She's... Cute." he said.

"She is." Elsa smiled. Hans took a step closer, brushing a hair out of the baby's face.

"She looks like you." he said to Elsa. Elsa smiled.

"I know."

Stian felt something inside him that he hadn't since he'd met Elsa. Trust. He didn't know how Hans could possibly turn back to his old ways. Sure, he'd done terrible things, and sure, he may not have the best reputation... But Stian could see something change in him that second. His eyes seemed less intense. His voice lost the rough undertone. He was Prince Hans of the Southern Isles.

"Hans-" Stian started.

"Sorry." Hans took a step back.

"No, Hans listen." Stian said. He took a step towards Hans, and enveloped him in a hug. Hans looked shocked. "Welcome to Arendelle."

Hans stood there for a second, shocked. Elsa joined in, followed by Sitna. Stian didn't know he could be this emotional.

"I trust you." Elsa said.

"Me too." Sitna agreed.

"We all do." Stian finished.

Hans began to tear up.

"Sorry, Hans." they all took a step back.

"No... That's the first time I've been hugged... In twenty one years." his voice broke. They all went back in, to make the moment all the more touching. Hans perked up after a while, "So, uh, what's the plan?"

"I guess we go with Sitna's. We need to gather the other wielder of fire and energy, then we'll have a force to take out Asle. How exactly will we do that?" Elsa asked.

"The Seal." Stian answered.

"I'm impressed." Sitna folded his arms.

"Asle told me everything. Of course, I'm just going off what she said."

"Why would she tell you about the Seal?" Sitna wondered aloud.

"If every element bearer gathers in one place, and uses their powers for a single purpose, and a single moment, with a single mindset, they can overpower anything. Even Gods." Stian explained.

"Like Odin." Elsa said.

"Yes. If we all want to stop Asle, it will happen. I don't know how but-"

"That's because it's impossible." Sitna interrupted.

"What?" the room asked.

"That's why Asle told you about it. We can't construct the Seal."

"Why not?" Hans asked, slamming his hands down on the table.

"There aren't five elements. There are six."

"...Light." Elsa slapped her forehead.

"Asle killed both bearers of light. They were what made the Shadowside neutral, like Earth. The Shadowside had dominion over all spiritual elements, Earth had dominion over physical. We're missing two people."

"Shouldn't the powers have been passed on?" Stian asked.

"They should have. Asle made sure they didn't."

"How?"

"Earth, weren't you listening? Your world has light. Ours doesn't."

"So Asle sent the light from the Shadowside into-" Elsa couldn't finish.

"Into the Earth. The Earth cannot think. It cannot have the will to do anything."

"So how do we get the element of light back?" Hans asked. Sitna said nothing, but thought.

"There's one way."

"How?" they all asked. The doors swung open once again. Stian was expecting Gerda, instead, the Admiral of the Guard, Admiral Westergard, stood in the doorway.

"What is it?" Elsa asked.

"They've done it." he panted.

"Briarvale has breached the walls."


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Kristoff

* * *

Kristoff raced to the war room as soon as he heard the news. Elsa, Stian, Sitna, and Hans were waiting for him there.

"Where's Anna?" Elsa asked.

"She's back in the safe room. What's going on?" Kristoff asked.

"Briarvale just broke through the walls." Stian said grimly.

"What about the Citizens?"

"They're all either in the safe house or the safe room in the Castle. They'll be safe, unless we lose the Castle." Hans said.

"We _won't_ loose the Castle. Stian, Elsa. You two, come with me. Hans, Kristoff, defend the Castle. If anybody tries to get in-" Sitna was interrupted.

"I'm not killing anybody." Kristoff stated.

"Neither am I." Hans agreed. Sitna looked at them desperately. None of them budged.

"Sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do... But fine. Take them prisoner. Don't crowd the dungeon. We don't want a riot."

"Right." Hans and Kristoff dashed out the door, leaving the three others in the room. They raced to the castle gates. Kristoff examined Arendelle from the watchtower. There were a few plumes of smoke, but the damage wasn't bad. He didn't understand. Sitna said they're new ice walls would hold them back for a longer time. They were destroyed not but a few hours after he said that. Maybe Sitna was...

No, he wasn't. Kristoff had to focus on the matter at hand. He drew his survival knife from his belt. It was a foot and a half long, and bent on the end. It was made for cutting ice and stone, but Kristoff knew it could cut through other materials...

Hans borrowed a sword from a Guard, and stood alongside Kristoff, watching soldiers fight each other. Kristoff didn't see any death, but he knew all too well that it was happening. People didn't need to die.

"What do we do?" he asked Hans.

"We wait."

"For what?"

"I don't know, backup?"

"What backup do we have coming?" Kristoff folded his arms. Hans looked discouraged.

"We're not loosing Arendelle. This place means a lot- I mean... I like it here." he stuttered.

"We know." Kristoff furrowed his brow.

He couldn't stop thinking about Anna. She insisted on taking care of the Villagers, and Kristoff decided the best place for her, Sven, and Olaf would be in the safe room. He let her stay, but not without a tear-filled goodbye. Kristoff knew he'd see her again, but just in case he didn't... He had to stay positive. He wanted to help, but he was an Ice Harvester and Deliverer, not a warrior. Hans on the other hand, knew his way around a blade.

"Hans, we have to help." Kristoff said. Hans started to say something, when his jaw dropped, and he pointed behind Kristoff. He turned around, and saw what Hans was pointing at. A portion of cobblestone from the road was now suspended a few yards above the ground, in a solid, stoney ball. It compressed tighter and tighter, until it was about the size of Kristoff's sled. It then flew through the air, knocking Briarvale soldiers off their feet, leaving them dazed. From the dust emerged none other than Jack and Elizabeth, the twins with powers of stone and rock. They "escorted" the soldiers to the officers, who put them with the rest of the imprisoned, inside the castle gates. Sure, it may not have been the safest, but the Arendelle military barracks were the only open space that wasn't in a war zone or housing citizens at that point.

"How?" Hans finished. Kristoff didn't say anything, and instead leapt down from the wall. He landed hard on the bridge that lead to the Castle, and began running to the square. He heard Hans shout something. Kristoff looked back, quizzically. He then felt something hard hit the side of his head. Kristoff fell to the ground, and scrambled to regain his survival knife. He crawled to it, and clutched it in his hands. He wiped the blood from his lip, and stood up. He could now see what Hans was talking about. Not more than ten feet directly in front of him stood a Briarvale soldier. He was dressed differently, though. Instead of the black guard wear, he wore a black cloak with gold trim. The crest of Briarvale, a root, was emblazoned in red on his torso. Kristoff knew this wasn't just any soldier. But what terrified Kristoff was what he had. Held in his grip, arm around her mouth, sword held against her neck, was a woman.

It was Anna.

Kristoff started to run for her, but the soldier backed up.

"Don't come any closer! I know who you are!" he said.

"Who are you?"

"Krist-"

"Quiet! I'm the... Admiral. Call back your troops and send your sorcerers back home, and we will leave in peace." the Admiral said.

"Peace?!" Kristoff spat.

"Agree to the terms!"

"Even if I could do that, I would never agree to that." Kristoff said.

"Why not?" he demanded, bringing the sword closer to Anna's throat.

Kristoff began to cry, "I'm not the King! I can't order that!"

"Fine then. I offered you a way out. You declined. I'll show you that Briarvale doesn't take no for an answer." he moved the sword quickly to the left, ready to cut. Kristoff thought fast. He had his knife, but he was too far away. Alright. He never had a good arm. Now or never. He closed his eyes, and threw the knife. He knew what he did would have disastrous results. If he had been even anywhere near the target, he may have ended up hitting Anna. He heard a sickening sound, and a thud. Slowly, he opened his eyes. Anna still stood, blood beginning to pool around her feet. He ran to the Princess.

"Anna!" he cried, and hugged her.

"K-Kr-Kristoff." she stuttered, color draining from her face.

"Anna-"

"_You killed him, you killed_-"

"Sh, sh, shh. Look at me... _Anna, look at me._" he gently moved her eyes to face his.

"You-"

"I'm sorry."

"No, no... it's okay..." she said shakily.

"Why didn't you stay in the safe room?" he asked, shaking violently himself.

"I... I never went to the safe room. I wanted to h-help." she cried.

"Olaf and Sven?"

"They're okay. In- in the safe room. W-where's Elsa?"

"War room... Anna, are you sure you're alright?" Kristoff asked. He took a quick glance down, and moved himself and Anna back a few feet, where it was clean. His mind raced. He guessed it was the adrenaline. Boy, was this going to suck when it wore off.

"What do we do?" she asked. Kristoff looked around. There were no other bodies anywhere, but Kristoff was still shaken. He'd never even thought about killing another human being before. But then, only a few seconds ago, he'd done it. He'd killed somebody. The Admiral. Whoever he was, he might have been important. This could have either been really good, or really bad. He heard Hans from behind him.

"...Kristoff." he said, when he saw the body near their feet.

"Shh! I know... I'm sorry."

"We all have guilt. Just... Take this as a lesson. We can't let anybody else end up like this." Hans said, bending over. Kristoff heard more sickening noises, before his knife landed back in his open hand, covered in blood.

"What do we do?" Anna asked again, with composure this time. Kristoff viewed his surroundings. No more. No more death. No more destruction. He may have only been Consort, like Stian, and this may not be his Kingdom, but it _was_ his home. He needed to defend it.

"We fight back."


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Sitna

* * *

He raced through the streets, sending enemy soldiers into the fjord and into different buildings with the dark mist as he went. Elsa and Stian followed behind him, not using their powers at all.

"C'mon, are you lot going to help at all?" Sitna's regal exposition broke, as he started talking in a thin Scottish accent. At least, it was Scotland on Earth. He was from a kingdom called Senrevin, in what was Scotland on Earth.

"No." they both answered. Fine. Sitna continued through the streets until he reached the walls. There was a large gaping hole, where the Briarvalans entered from. Sitna bent over, and rubbed the ash with his index and middle finger. He studied it, then sniffed it.

"No... No, no, no!" he cursed.

"What's wrong?" Elsa asked.

"This isn't ash."

"What is it?"

"This isn't good." Sitna looked around wildly. No sign of Asle. That was good, or bad. Or both, he didn't know. He had to think... He tapped his temples over and over again. "Think... Come on, there's got to be something. A reason, a motive, something!" he was speaking incredibly fast, with no intention of stopping.

"A motive? For what?" Stian asked, backing up slowly.

"Asle knows that existence as we know it would cease, so why, _why_ is she still going through with this?"

"I'll tell you why." came a breathy voice. Sitna spun around, and came nose to nose with the Dark Queen herself.

"I know you're power hungry and insane, but why?" Sitna didn't stop speaking quickly. He noticed Stian and Elsa getting even farther, hands crackling with icy fog. Sitna thought himself crazy for keeping his guard down, but he was too busy to fight. "You're not... That insane! Nobody is _that_ crazy!"

"Nobody who's lead a life like I have can stay sane." Asle smiled.

"Your life?"

"I was born in a kingdom called Ellednera. My Parents hated me. They did all they could to cover up my powers, to keep it concealed. My powers, though, didn't agree with this. All my time alone in my room, my prison, I learned. My powers taught me. They showed me everything I needed to see. They showed me Earth. Another kingdom... Arendelle. They showed me a little girl that looked exactly like me. I saw you, Elsa. I saw Anna. I saw the lives you were living, how great they were. I wanted to have your life, Elsa... So badly. I killed everybody in my way. Ellednera became the Shadowside. And you..." Asle looked to the Queen. Elsa stumbled back a bit. Stian caught her, and held her.

"I tried... I tried to control my powers, but then it hit me." Asle started laughing. Sitna noticed the silence surrounding them now. The only sound was Asle's insane laughter reverberating off the walls. "Then it hit me! I couldn't control my powers. My powers controlled me. And do you know what?" Asle asked, raising her hands.

"Elsa, Stian, run!" Sitna yelled. They didn't do anything at first, out of pure shock. "Run!" he yelled again. They than raced as fast as they could back to the Castle. Asle had let them go.

"I loved it. I had somebody to listen to. I had somebody who listened to me."

"Asle, that's just it! You cannot give in to the darkness! You have to fight it! Trust me, I've done it. I know it's hard, I know it's painful but you _need to fight it."_ Sitna begged. Asle clenched her hands, and a pillar of dark mist slammed into Sitna's chest. He felt a few ribs break, but nothing that he couldn't fight through. He redirected the mist back at his ex-fiancee. She laughed, swirled her right arm, and sent the mist off into the air, harmlessly.

"That's the thing, though. Sitna, your powers could be so much more! All of you! Elsa, Stian, Yuri, all of them. You all could have so much more power... So much more power... You're all cowards."

"Asle, no. You're just like you've always been. You're power crazy." Sitna yelled, a tear coming to his eye.

"So I used them. I killed the two light bearers, and used my powers to open the aurora as kind of a... A mini-conduit. It was only strong enough to bring one person through, and it was a one way trip. I needed somebody in this world to open it. Somebody with enough darkness in their heart."

"Why'd you choose Anna then? She's got a lot of things in her heart, darkness isn't one of them." Sitna spat.

"You still don't understand, do you?" Asle screamed. "You just need to find that one thing that turns all that light into darkness. I believe I've found that one thing."

"What is that?" Sitna asked.

"Her Sister."

Pure unrefined rage filled Sitna, as he willed the darkness from within him outward. It manifested as a smoke rather than a mist, and shot though Asle. She fell backwards, and immediately stood up. Her hair was now ruined, and her obsidian dress was torn in a few places. Her nostrils flared, and her eyes were wide with excitement. She looked downright insane now.

Asle and Stian shot mist back and fourth, reflecting and redirecting it easily. It was a stalemate, and it was going nowhere. A thick dark haze now hung around Arendelle, and the day turned to night.

"I went to Briarvale. Convinced them..." Asle shrieked.

"Convinced them?"

"Arendelle was a danger. I told them about the recruitment of new people with powers much like the Queen's. I reminded them of what the Queen did a year ago. I told them of global catastrophe."

"Why would you gather all of us here if you knew we could construct the Seal?" Sitna asked, sending a pillar of smoke skyrocketing toward Asle.

"Because I knew I'd be way ahead of you the whole time." Asle smiled, redirecting it.

"What?" Sitna was thrown off focus, causing the pillar to collide with his chest. He felt more bones break. This time, he had trouble breathing. Great, maybe he had a punctured lung. That would take hours to heal... "You're not... Ahead..."

"About Anna..." Asle looked to the Castle. "Like I said, you take any emotion of somebody, and turn it to hatred. The situation going on right now? The powers I have? I can manipulate more than just politicians, Sitna. That anger you just felt..."

Sitna's eyes widened. He started limping for the Castle.

"That was me. I control hatred. Anger. Sadness."

"Darkness." she said.

"No!" he screamed. Too late. A beam of white light exploded from the top of the Castle. The steeple shattered, and the beam shot through the haze and through the sky. If Sitna's fears were correct, there could only be one person in the center of that beam. Somebody who's heart was filled with rage, sadness, hate... Somebody who's heart was as dark as Asle's. Somebody who understood Asle, and wanted to help her with her sick goal. That person...

Was Anna.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Stian

* * *

When he saw the beam of light rise from the Castle, Stian knew there was trouble. He met up with Kristoff and Hans at the gates.

"Where's Anna?" Elsa asked, frantically.

"I- I don't know. She went into the Castle. Is she okay?" Kristoff asked, looking between Elsa and the beam.

"I don't know. Come on!" Elsa began running to the Castle, motioning for the others to follow her. Stian was reluctant, but he followed. He knew Asle was still in Arendelle, and judging from the pillars of smoke rising into the sky, she wasn't too happy. He wanted to help. He knew about the Seal. They only needed two more people. They didn't have a lot of time, though. Stian raced into the throne room, where it lay in shambles. It was unnaturally dark inside, and it unsettled him. Maybe Asle had succeeded in turning Anna... No, no, Anna was too strong. Nothing could change her mind about anything.

"The door won't open." Hans called, pulling on it as hard as he could. Elsa blasted flurries into the door in an attempt to knock it down. Nothing happened.

"We're trapped." Elsa's eyes widened, and she sunk to her knees. Stian noticed Kristoff's eyes grow, as he realized something.

"Anna said she'd had a weird dream. Ever since that she'd been having anger episodes."

"Anna is never angry." Stian said.

"I know. Alright, here's the plan. We go to sleep."

"What?" everybody took a step back, and looked at Kristoff like he had two heads.

"Hear me out. Whatever happened to Anna when she was asleep, wherever she went, we can go too. Asle tried to do the same thing to Sitna, remember? Asle has to be there, physically there, to influence somebody. Anna went somewhere." Kristoff spoke softly. The silence unsettled Stian. There was literally nothing making any sort of sound. He could hear the blood in his ears. When Stian examined Kristoff, he saw that he was deathly pale, and sweating. His hands shook, as if he were terrified by somebody, or something.

"Are you suggesting that-" Stian stopped speaking, terrified.

"She went to the Shadowside. Anybody up for a little visit?" Kristoff asked casually. The group glanced at each other. Stian had a few flaws with this plan. If he could get to sleep at all, who knew if they would end up in the Shadowside? Asle must have brought Anna there, and Asle was at the walls of Arendelle right now, battling her boyfriend. And even if they did, somehow, get to the Shadowside, what would they do? The only thing they'd be able to do is recruit the two light bearers, but they were killed years ago by Asle. The element of light was literally transferred into the Earth.

"Alright." Stian agreed. Elsa gripped his hand.

"What?" she asked.

"Kristoff is right." Stian said. Kristoff nodded.

"How?"

"Elsa, you know the two light bearers?"

"Stian, we need to find Anna!" Elsa begged.

"I know! We will. I'll say it if none of us are. Anna's opening the Conduit. Where's her mind right now? What could she be thinking?" Stian asked. Everyone was silent. "Hatred, anger, sadness, and every other negative emotion that could be felt by the human heart. How does one counter that?" Stian asked, brushing his hair out of his face. Nothing again. "Happiness. Joy, surprise, love. That's how we counter it. We have plenty of that right here. But one thing remains in her heart. Darkness. How do we counter that?"

"Light." Hans answered, nodding excitedly.

"But Asle said she sent the light into this world." Elsa said.

"Exactly. But both Asle and Sitna are here now, on Earth. If there is no darkness in the Shadowside, what is the only other thing there could be?" Stian grinned.

"I'm inexplicably tired." Elsa stretched. Stian laughed, and lay down on the floor, using a crumpled tapestry as a pillow. Elsa slid next to him, putting a hand on his chest. "I hope this works." she said. Kristoff curled up in the corner of the room, and Hans took a place on the opposite side of throne room.

"Me too." Stian said, closing his eyes. It took a while, but soon, the stress melted away, and he was asleep.

* * *

He jerked up, into the Castle. Sunlight shown through the window. He wasn't in the Castle anymore. Well, he was in _a_ Castle, but this wasn't Arendelle's throne room. The room was like a large cathedral, with sparkling rainbow stained glass reflecting down onto Stian. He looked around. Had it worked? This didn't look like the Shadowside. He stood up and stretched, yawning. He wasn't dreaming. It had worked. His eyes went from half asleep, to wide open.

Where was Elsa?

He searched the room around him.

"Elsa?" he called. It echoed through the wide hall, reverberating into a sort of tune. Nothing but his own voice answered him. He brushed his hair back, panicking. He turned around, and started at the giant wooden doors that stood before him. He gripped the bronze rings around the doors, and pushed. Even more light flooded the room, as Stian stepped outside.

It was summer, with tall green grass growing up to his waist around him. Purple and yellow flowers dotted the hillside the Castle stood on, which looked down onto a quaint, tiny kingdom. Smoke rose from the chimney of a few houses, and Stian could smell bread in the air. No way this was the Shadowside. Who had named this place?

"Elsa?" he called again, his voice now traveling down the hill.

He had so many questions. Had he physically traveled to a different dimension, or was he still asleep next to Elsa back in Arendelle? Where had his friends gone, and why was this area the complete opposite of what he expected the Shadowside to be? He panicked a bit.

"Elsa?" he could see his breath now. Stian raced down the hill to the small village, nearly falling multiple times. People walked the streets, overjoyed.

"Excuse me, where am I?" Stian asked. An old, portly woman stopped. She pinched his cheek.

"Brightside, welcome! That's a fancy ice getup you have there, deary. Just like the Young Lady who was here earlier."

"A Young Lady? Where did she go?" Stian asked, taking her hands.

"You look a lot like her. Are you together?" she asked, blushing.

"We're married."

"That's so cute! You two make a great couple. Have you any-"

"One girl. Two weeks old."

The old lady squealed, "Isn't that precious. I bet she's missing her Daddy right about now."

Stian got a little upset, his eyes starting to water. Maybe Neiva did miss him. Stian realized the one thing Asle was in Arendelle to retrieve. His daughter.

"Where did she go?" Stian asked again.

"She mentioned she was looking for somebody, then wandered off that way." she pointed to a forest surrounding one end of the village.

"The forest?"

"Yes, sir. It used to be very... Foreboding... But now it's livened up a bit, and it's one beautiful place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the busy life in the village." she smiled sweetly. Stian kissed her cheek.

"Thank you."

"I hope you find her!" she called after him, as Stian charged into the forest. He saw a small rock, that had moss on the left side. Alright, he had to remember that in case he forgot where he was. A few minutes of running around, searching for ways through the forest, he came across a small rock. Moss on the left side. He shook his head, and began walking in a straight line again. A few minutes later, he arrived at the same rock. Alright, he admitted it.

He was lost.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Stian

* * *

Yep, he was definitely lost. Stian started to get worried when the sun started to set, and he'd seen the same stone at least a hundred times. He began calling for help, but to no avail. The next time he passed the stone, he sat down and wiped the sweat from his brow. He had to think for a bit. Now that he was in the Shadowside, he had to find Elsa, Kristoff and Hans. After that, since Asle was on Earth, they'd have to find what she'd left behind. Looking around and seeing a startling lack of evil darkness, Stian guessed she'd left behind something important. Something she didn't plan on leaving behind. The sun was now completely set, and Stian was surrounded by night. He started shifting the way he sat, and moving his hands about nervously. He saw some shadows dash in the corner of his eye, and every time he saw them, he jumped. He was now sweating even more profusely. He knew why.

It was nighttime in the Shadowside. Not only did darkness come along with the night, but fear as well. The night here made Stian remember his biggest fear. In front of him, almost like a hallucination, Elsa ran. She looked frantically back and forth. Stian tried to reach for her, but he was paralyzed with fear. She had a whispy look about her, as if she were made from smoke. She disappeared into the forest.

Something moved in the bushes. With a crazed look, Stian's eyes darted to the darkness. What was this thing? Why did it want him? The bushes moved again. He heard groaning. Deep, guttural groaning that made his heart stop.

He didn't dare breath.

A roar from the bushes prompted him, and he bolted up, and ran for the opposite end of the clearing. He screamed as he heart whatever it was enter the clearing. He heard footsteps gaining on him, and the thing screamed behind him.

"No! Stay away! Please!" Stian tried to summon an icy wind, but nothing came from his palms. He stomped his foot. No ice. Why weren't his powers working?

Another scream from right behind him. Stian could feel breath on his neck. He didn't dare turn around. He didn't have to. The thing enveloped him, bringing him to the ground.

"Stop!" Stian begged, opening his eyes. Okay, now he was really confused.

"Stian?"

"Kristoff, what- I mean, why-?" Stian was still dazed and scared half to death, but Kristoff helped him to his feet.

"What happened Stian? You looked like you've seen a ghost." Kristoff said.

"Yeah, yeah." Stian waved his hand, not paying any attention. He sat down onto the forest floor. No sign of the small boulder. He waited a few minutes before talking. "This place shows you stuff."

"I know."

"You do?"

"I saw Anna. I saw her..." he choked up, "In pain. Suffering. She called for me, but I couldn't help. I didn't help. I saw the Admiral-" Kristoff said. He cleared his throat. "What did you see?"

"Elsa. There was also something in the woods. It was after me."

"That was probably me, Stian."

"No, you can't scream like this thing could."

"What was it?"

"No idea." Stian confessed. Kristoff bit his lip.

"Have you found Elsa or Hans yet?"

"No, I thought they may have been with you." Stian sighed.

"Nope. I woke up in the middle of this forest. This place doesn't feel much like the Shadowside... Well, not until it got dark."

"That's what has me worried. What if Elsa's alone? What if she's in danger?" Stian asked, brushing his hair out of his face.

"I'm sure she's fine. She has powers too, remember?" Kristoff asked. Stian looked at his palms. Kristoff had no materials to defend himself with him. If he told Kristoff he couldn't use his powers, what would happen if they were in danger?

"Yeah. I'm sure she's fine." Stian agreed.

"We better get moving. Whatever was after you, I don't think it'd just give up. I started following that moon," Kristoff pointed to the greenish moon in the sky, "And when I did, I found you. Maybe if we keep following the moon, we'll find Elsa and Hans."

"Good idea."

* * *

Elsa

* * *

She sat, throwing stones into the dark lake. The ripples cast fluctuating shadows across the inky black water. Woods surrounded the lake, and there was a tiny stone dock leading a few yards towards the middle of the lake.

Elsa had woken up to the sounds of waves brushing against the shore. She was looking around frantically for Stian, Kristoff or Hans, but she found nobody around the large body of water. The lake was probably a few thousand meters across, and she searched the whole area. It started to get dark, and Elsa dared not enter the forest around the lake. This was, after all, the Shadowside. She was impressed how easily it was to control her powers here, as she didn't even see her own breath when she breathed with panic.

She's since calmed down, and decided to wait out the night by the lakeside. Elsa shook her head. It wasn't a good plan, but it was a plan. That's when she saw it.

Across the lake, casting a faint shadow against the water was... Something. Elsa squinted, and saw that it was vaguely humanoid. It had long, gangly limbs, like somebody who had broken a few bones in their arms. It twisted at all bizarre angles, before Elsa realized what it was doing.

It was dancing.

Elsa recoiled in horror, not being able to take her eyes away from it. Its head was tilted up, staring up at the sky. Its movements were graceful, but terrifying. Not knowing what it was terrified Elsa. That's when she realized she'd been throwing stones into the lake. It that thing hadn't heard her, she had to get away.

Elsa took a step back. Of course, the dirt shifted under her foot, creating a loud "SHHHK" sound. Elsa looked to the figure, horrified that it would have heard her. It didn't move. Elsa remained still and silent, she didn't dare move.

Silence.

Then, the head tilted toward her. Elsa saw two green dots reflect off the water. Elsa almost screamed as she turned to run. She sprinted into the forest. Before she reached the tree line, Elsa glanced over her shoulder. Whatever it was, it had moved. Elsa had to scan the lake. Then she saw it, rising from the water, climbing onto the docks. It danced down the docks, straight towards Elsa.

She'd never been more scared in her life. She ran head first into the forest before slamming into something.

Elsa lay on her back, dazed. She remembered the thing that was after her. She heard a low, deep howl from the lake behind her. Two hands gripped her by the shoulders, raising her to her feet. Elsa couldn't help but scream.

"Let go! Let go of me!" she tried, extending her palm. Nothing. No breeze, no cold, no snow. Nothing.

"Hey!" a voice said. Elsa kept her eyes firmly shut, blasting whoever this was with ice. "Elsa!" she recognized that voice. She opened her eyes.

"Hans?"

He looked gruff, like he'd been in a few fights. His face and hair were both dirty, and his forehead was bleeding.

"Go! Run! It's coming!" Elsa pushed Hans in the opposite direction of the lake.

"No, it's not. Elsa, listen to me. You're with somebody now. I think I know what's going on here..." Hans deduced, letting go of Elsa's shoulders.

"What- what's happening?" Elsa asked, fixing her braid.

"This is the Shadowside. What does this place prey on?" he asked.

"Happiness?"

"But what about during the daytime? It seemed so nice." Hans said.

"You're right."

"This place plays off your fears. Whatever you saw by the lake was your imagination. Probably." Hans wiped the blood from his forehead.

"What happened to you?" Elsa asked.

"I don't... Know. I woke up like this."

"Oh... What did you mean by 'probably'?" Elsa asked.

"I don't know if those things are real or not. I haven't been caught by one. We need shelter." Hans said, looking around.

"Wait!" Elsa held up her hands. "Where are Stian and Kristoff?" Hans looked discouraged.

"I haven't seen them. I hope they are alright. If they're together, they're fine. If they're not..."

"We're looking for them, come on." Elsa took his hand, leading him deeper in the woods.

"Elsa no!" Hans pulled his hand free. He sighed. "We can only wait. These woods are huge. We just need to... Wait..."

"What if they're not together?" Elsa asked.

"If they're not together," Hans said, "They're dead."


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Kristoff

* * *

Kristoff didn't know weather to run or sit and wait for it to catch them.

Not only were there now two creatures pursuing them through the dark, infinite forest, but seeing the shadows bounce from the trees, the moonlight, and the otherworldly sounds coming from the forest, he couldn't help but be terrified.

"Keep running, Kristoff!" Stian yelled over his shoulder.

"Really?!" Kristoff asked sarcastically. They'd been running for about a half hour now, and Kristoff breathed a sigh of relief when they broke the tree-line. They were standing on the banks of a lake, the water so dark it could have been tar. Kristoff looked behind himself frantically, for the unseen things that were pursuing them. Nothing. The forest was silent again. The two men sat by the side of the lake, exhausted. Kristoff collapsed onto his back.

"Where... Do you think... Elsa... Is?" he breathed.

"No... idea..." Kristoff answered. They sat there, breathing for a while. Kristoff had seen Stian trying to use his powers as they ran, and they hadn't been working. Stian didn't say anything to him, though. Things were rough as it was. Kristoff only had thoughts of Anna in his head. Was she alright? Was that beam of light even her, or somebody else? What had Asle done to become who she was today, and why did she think merging these two worlds together would be a good idea? She was insane.

"Kristoff, don't move." Stian motioned. Kristoff looked out the opposite end of the lake, and saw a shadow along the water. Along the banks was a slender figure. He thought it was Elsa at first, but it was too mangled and man-like to be Elsa. He couldn't make out any features besides its long arms and crooked limbs from this distance. It was flailing in such a fashion, Kristoff was almost hypnotized by it. He shook his head.

"What is it?"

"I don't know. Whatever it is, it probably isn't friendly." Stian deduced. Kristoff examined it further. Its limbs moved gracefully, waving back and forth as it stepped lightly on the white sand. Kristoff narrowed his eyes.

"It's dancing..." he whispered. He looked to Stian, "What do you want to do?"

"Me? I'm staying right here. No way am I trying to take that thing in a fight." he motioned towards it. "It's graceful, but that doesn't mean it's not dangerous."

"I hate this place." Kristoff looked to Stian, his eyes were still locked on the being across the lake. Kristoff put his head in his hands.

"I know. Me too."

"What are we even looking for here?" Kristoff asked.

"I don't know. Light. Something. We don't even know how long the night lasts here. We may be in for an unwelcome surprise." Stian guessed. Kristoff was nearly asleep, when a hand shook him. "Don't go to sleep." Stian said. Kristoff yawned.

"Why?"

"What if you go back to Arendelle? I'll be alone." Kristoff looked into Stian's eyes. They were like a child's, big and scared. No way would he leave his friend.

"Sorry." the Mountain Man sat up. "Where's our friend?"

"Still dancing, over there." Stian pointed. It was closer, definitely, but still a ways away. How long was Kristoff dozing off? Kristoff stood up with determination.

"We need to find Elsa and Hans." he decided. He'd immediately regretted it. The thing's head jerked in his direction. It began running, almost on all fours, toward the two. Stian stood up next to Kristoff.

"Go...Go!" he pushed him. The two resumed running, but were stopped by something.

"No! No, no no!" Kristoff whined. The trees had apparently grown even more, making the forest impassable. This was like a bad dream. Even if this was a dream, they're way was blocked, and something was coming after them with evil intentions. No. Kristoff had enough of running. He was tired of being scared. He'd take this thing with his bare hands.

"Kristoff!" Stian called to him. He didn't listen, and began walking towards the dancer. As it got closer, Kristoff heard it's evil shrieking, and saw it's skin. Saggy, pale, and old. It's skin looked so old, we wondered how it could move with such agility. It didn't matter. Kristoff stopped, and held his ground. He heard footsteps next to him. Stian stood next to him, confident.

"Together." he nodded. Kristoff grinned, as it got even closer. So close, Kristoff could see it's green eyes from this distance. Kristoff got ready to grab it. He saw it's mangled face, ugly and screaming in anger. He smelt it's breath, putrid and warm. Kristoff grabbed it by the shoulders, wrestling it to the ground. It shook and squirmed in his hands, trying to get loose. Kristoff felt it try to scratch at him with it's finger nails. The Sami held it back, so it couldn't reach him. He examined its face. Old, cut and bruised, and tired. It looked almost sad. He had to admit, he was scared, but he was tired of these things in the forest pushing him around. Stian grabbed its arms, and placed them behind its back.

"What are you?" Kristoff yelled.

"Satisfied." it hissed, before disappearing into smoke. It was gone. Why? What did it want? It had been there one second, and evaporated the next.

The two sat there for a while, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Stian looked suddenly to the sky, and noticed something. He pointed.

"Kristoff, look."

In the west, a sunrise was beginning. That didn't seem right, but this _was_ an alternate world. The sunrise grew and grew, but then stopped. It was like the whole sun had decided to take a break.

"Why didn't the sun rise?" Kristoff asked. Stian looked around, still hearing groans and screams from the forest.

"Because we haven't confronted them all yet."

"What?" Kristoff asked again.

"What's your biggest fear? A physical fear, like a monster under the bed?" Stian asked, grabbing Kristoff's shoulders.

"I don't know... I've always hated those paintings of evil pig-men." Kristoff tried. As soon as he said that, the two friends heard a loud grunt emanate from the forest.

"I think you're right. That Pig-Man... It's been chasing us through the woods this whole time..."

"I don't get it." Kristoff said.

"This _is_ the Shadowside. Not the Castle or Village I was in earlier, this forest! Just like Asle, it preys off your fears. Whatever you're scared of most, it's in this forest." Stian examined the trees. They were split again, allowing entrance into the infinite forest.

"But I'm not scared of old dancers..." Kristoff stood up.

"No, no, I don't think that was meant for you. Or me." Stian guessed.

"That means we're not alone in this forest! What is your biggest fear?" Kristoff asked excitedly.

"Why would I tell you?" Stian asked.

"I told you." he grinned. Stian rolled his eyes.

"Spiders."

"Spiders?" Kristoff laughed, "Little tiny spiders?." Kristoff argued.

"Shut up, at least I'm not afraid of bacon." Stian yelled.

"Whatever. Let's just hope we don't run into a huge spider, then."

"Yeah." Stian brushed his shoulders off, and the two plunged back into the woods. Kristoff found a little comfort in knowing that by conquering their fears, they could bring light back. Roars came from all around them, but Kristoff didn't worry. It was all fake, a test!

Right?


	31. Chapter 31

The Blu-Ray is out tomorrow everybody! Are you as exited as I am?

* * *

Chapter 31

Elsa

* * *

When the sun appeared, it was a breath of fresh air. Elsa thought it would continue to rise, but was disappointed to see it stop without really rising at all. She could see some pink on the horizon, but that was about it. She wondered how it had happened, but she didn't question it. Since the sun had risen, no matter how little it did, the things in the forest did seem to quiet down.

"Where exactly are we going?" Hans groaned.

"We're finding Stian and Kristoff." Elsa said, ducking under a pine branch.

"What makes you think they're even in this forest?" Hans asked. The truth was, she didn't know. She had a hunch Stian was near, but she never really heard anything, or saw any signs of them being near. As Elsa remained silent, her thoughts turned to Anna. What was she doing back at the Castle? Everybody thought that Anna was at the center of that beam of light, opening the Conduit. But to Elsa, it didn't make sense. How could somebody with as strong a heart as Anna have fallen so quickly? She knew that if they didn't find a solution here in the Shadowside, they'd have to resort to desperate measures.

Another thing that kept eating away at her was Neiva. Elsa loved her daughter, unconditionally. But lately she felt that she'd... Almost passed her on to Gerda all the time. Sure, she had Queenly duties to tend to, but it was unfair to Neiva. Elsa vowed after this was all over, she, Stian, Neiva, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven would all go on vacation together. Somewhere warm... Italy, maybe.

"-Elsa?" Hans asked. Elsa shook her head.

"What? Sorry..." Elsa apologized. Hans looked at her a bit weird.

"Look." he pointed. Elsa noticed they had begun trudging up a small hill. At the top of this hill sat a small stone structure. It looked old, really old. It was covered with moss and intricate carvings on the outside. The carvings looked like they depicted seasons. As Elsa got closer, she noticed that they weren't seasons, but elements. One side, made from white marble, had small carvings of delicate snowflakes that almost seemed to fall down the side of the hexagonal building. The wall to the left of the ice, was made of some sort of granite brick. It had clumps of dirt and grass hanging from the stone, and small stones mixed into the bricks. The building ranged from volcanic rock with live magma still flowing through it's veins, to solid obsidian. Elsa hated obsidian. One of the other two sides was made completely out of opal, and it casted rainbow shadows on the ground. The last side was ammonite, a milky white crystal. It was stable, and rough. Elsa had an idea what this represented.

"Let's go in." Elsa said.

"Well, of course!" Hans rolled his eyes, ducking under the small doorway. The small hexagonal dome was about twelve feet across, and rose about twelve feet above their heads. Where all the different sides of the building came together at the apex of the roof, there hung two small yellow spheres. They looked delicate, like crystal balls filled with smoke and a yellow light in the center.

"Wow." Elsa said in awe.

"Welcome!" came an old voice. "Come in to get away from the darkness did ye?"

Elsa and Hans jumped, and spun around. An old, short woman stood before them in the doorway. She wore a green cloak, and fur under that. Her grey hair was frizzled and hung around her shoulders in two braids.

"Where did you come from?" Elsa asked, facing her palms at the old woman.

"Oh, deary, don't try to do that here. Ya can't!" she laughed.

"What do you want?" Hans asked. The old lady looked hurt.

"I want nothing! Just glad to find travelers stopping by this old place after all these years. You, young lady... You're special aren't you?" the old lady asked, examining Elsa.

"Uh..."

"You're a Mother, are you not?"

"Yes..?"

"I knew it! You've got the glow, deary! Now!" She snapped her fingers, "Down to business. I know what you want." When the old lady snapped her fingers, light filled the structure. A glowing white light hung just above Elsa's hands. Elsa studied it intently. She knew.

"This is energy!" Elsa said, her eyes lighting up. Maybe literally, that had only happened once.

"No it isn't!" the old woman snapped again, and the light vanished.

"I saw that!"

"Saw what?"

"Who are you?" Elsa asked.

"A humble old woman." she answered, snapping again. Suddenly, the structure was lit by torches. Old carved furnishings, stone and wooden, covered the room. A warm fireplace sat in one corner of the room, with a pot of food boiling over it. The old woman proceeded to mix the food.

"You're..." Hans started piecing together the story.

"A humble. Old. Woman." she tried again. Elsa and Hans weren't having it. They're argument got even easier to win, when the two heard somebody call from outside the room.

"Hilda, do we have guests?"

"Nobody, go away Cassius!" the old lady said, in a singsong voice, playing it off.

"Who's Cassius?" Elsa grinned. A man ducked through the door. This man couldn't be older than Anna, about nineteen. He had the same strawberry blonde hair as Elsa's sister, but a rugged look on his face. He wore similar clothes to the old lady, Hilda. A red cloak, with grey fur underneath. He also had an iron spaulder on his right shoulder, and two iron gauntlets on. He looked like somebody who went out and did a lot of the dirty work a lot of the time. This was Cassius.

"Grandmother, I- woah..." Cassius grinned at Elsa.

"Sorry." Elsa held out her hand, showing her snowflake shaped sapphire and silver ring.

"Oh. My apologies, you're just..."

"Ice cold." Hans laughed. Elsa elbowed him.

"Who is this old woman?" Hans coughed, motioning to Hilda.

"She's Hilda, my Grandmother and-"

Hilda laughed anxiously, stepping in between Cassius and the others. "Ha, ha, ha... I'm just Hilda! An old crazy lady in the forest!"

"Who can control energy, correct?" Elsa tried. Hilda froze. She'd been caught.

"No..?" she smiled, embarrassed.

"I saw that, the energy you just used to light the room! You're the other energy bearer!" Elsa clapped. Hilda's face turned saddened.

"Other? You found..."

"Yuri?" Hans asked. Hilda collapsed into a wooden rocking chair.

"Yuri..." she repeated. Cassius approached his Grandmother, and knelt to be face to face with her.

"Grandmother... Yuri? The man you've told me stories about all these years?" he stood, and looked at Elsa intently. "How did you find him?" he asked.

"He lived in my Kingdom, the Southern Isles." Hans said.

"I've never heard of that place before..." Cassius scratched his chin. Hilda reclined in her chair.

"That's because it doesn't exist here." she said gravely.

"How can it-"

"Cassius, you may want to sit down. This is a lot." Elsa started.

"No! I'm not going back there! Cassius, go find some food." Hilda ordered.

"What's the Southern Isles?" Cassius asked.

"It's a Kingdom. A land where people live. I'm from Arendelle-" Elsa stopped when she saw Hilda begin to shake upon hearing that name.

"Arendelle..."

"I'm actually-"

"The Queen. I've heard about you." Hilda said.

"What do you mean?" Elsa asked.

"You killed everybody here. Everybody."


	32. Chapter 32

How many of you picked up your Blu-Ray's today? I snagged a collector's edition, ran home, and watched Frozen a few times. Now I'm in the mood to write more. I love movie.

* * *

Chapter 32

Hans

* * *

"I haven't killed anybody!" Elsa argued. Hans was shocked to hear the two women arguing, but Cassius eventually broke it up.

"Sorry, my Grandmother is a little bit... Crazy."

"I'm not crazy!"

"I'm sure she mistook you for somebody else." Cassius put his hand on Elsa's shoulder. Elsa and Hans both realized what was going on.

"I'm not... I'm not Asle if that's what you think." Elsa said softly to Hilda. Hilda turned her back, and folded her arms.

"Maybe not... You can change the way you look, but you'll always be the same." Hilda spoke.

Cassius laughed awkwardly, "Hey, Grandma, wanna see what I caught in the forest today?"

"Food?" she asked excitedly. Hans had to admit, he was a bit hungry.

Cassius frowned, "No." he leaned out the door, and motioned for something to come in. Hans heard waddling outside the chamber. What had he found? A little snowman entered the room, short, with little twigs sticking out of the top of his head for hair, a single tooth, and three coal buttons on his body. The snowman looked around, until it's eyes fell on Elsa.

"Elsa!" he shouted, running over to the Queen. She hugged the snowman lovingly.

"Who is this?" Hans asked.

"You know each other?" Cassius asked.

"Olaf, how did you get here?" Elsa breathed.

"Same as you. I went to the throne room, and I found you guys asleep. Seeing people tired makes me tired, so I fell asleep cuddling with you, there." Olaf pointed to Hans. The Prince recoiled. "I woke up in the dark forest. There was something after me, but this guy here set it on fire!" Olaf said.

"Fire?" Hans asked. Cassius looked ashamed. Hilda smacked him on the hand.

"How many times do I need to tell you, conceal your powers!" she squawked.

"Grandma, I tried! He needed help! I'm sorry!" Cassius cried as Hilda grabbed his ear.

"Olaf, what do you mean fire?" Elsa asked.

"Oh! They're just like your powers, Elsa! Except instead of ice and snow, he can make fire!" Olaf said, wide-eyed. Elsa studied Cassius, as if he were a complex book.

"I knew you two were hiding." Elsa said. The Grandmother and Grandson stopped, silent. "You," she said pointing at Hilda, "You have the power to control energy, right? And you," she pointed to Cassius, "Fire." The two looked ashamed.

"You found us. Take us away, Your Majesty." Hilda held out her wrists for cuffing.

"What? No. I'm not Asle! We actually need your help!" Elsa smiled.

"Our help? For what?" Cassius asked.

"Asle is in Arendelle. She's trying to open something..." Elsa couldn't remember.

"The Conduit." Hans reminded her. Upon mentioning the Conduit, Hilda's jaw dropped open. A look of pure horror overtook her face.

"Yes right, the Conduit. We need all nine element wielders to help us stop her." Elsa appealed, hoping that they would understand and join their cause.

"The Conduit, you say?" Hilda asked. Elsa nodded. "You've already failed."

Olaf looked defeated. "What?"

"How else would you explain the fact that you are here, in the Shadowside?" Hilda asked. Hans didn't understand.

"What do you mean?"

"Human beings can only pass between realms when the Conduit is already open, and they are near its influence. Judging by how you've found us here, I'd say you fell asleep very close to the Conduit." Hilda reasoned. Elsa's eyes widened, and Hans saw her go weak in the knees. She knew that the Conduit was open now, and the one responsible for opening it was none other than her own Sister.

"If... Somebody is needed to open the Conduit-" Hans began.

"One with a heart of light and darkness in perfect balance, yes." Hilda finished.

"Then... Wait, what?" he asked. "Perfect balance? Asle told us a heart of pure darkness was needed to open the Conduit."

"She lied. She tends to do that. Only a heart made up of half pure light and half pitch darkness can open the Conduit. If you are indeed not Asle, you must be the Other she always talked about." Hilda sat in the wooden chair again.

"My Sister... Please, we need to go back!" Elsa begged.

"I may consider helping. If you free the Shadowside." Hilda scratched her chin. Elsa looked desperate.

"Yes, anything."

"In the woods, there are monsters. These things represent your greatest inner fear. Elsa, yours is defeated. by somebody other than yourself. When you find this person, you must thank them. They've done a great deed for you." the old woman advised. Hans mind swam. He looked at Elsa. They were thinking the same thing. Hans hadn't defeated the monster. Elsa hadn't. Cassius was out with Olaf... That only meant one thing.

"Stian and Kristoff! Where are they?" Elsa asked excitedly.

"Stian is his name, then?" Cassius asked. Hilda nodded.

"Defeat the other..." Hilda counted Hans, and Olaf, then took Stian and Kristoff into account. "Four monsters. The sun will rise with each one you defeat. Once day has returned, we will go with you to Arendelle to help close the Conduit. Unless it is too late."

Elsa ignored the last part of that sentence, "How do we defeat them?" she asked. Hilda ushered the three out of the building. Olaf stayed close to Elsa, not trusting Hans.

"Face your fears." she said, snapping her fingers. The chamber went dark. Hans ran back inside to find it empty. No sign of Cassius, Hilda, and especially no sign of a house.

"Alright. Where do we start?" Olaf asked. They heard a howl coming from the woods, followed by a shout for help. Hans knew that voice.

"There." Elsa said, sprinting in full ice dress, toward the sound. Hans was never good at facing his fears. If his biggest fear was here in the forest, that would mean his friends would see a side of him they'd never seen before. He hoped it didn't come to that. Because Hans was taught something from a very young age. Something that he'd grown up on, something that he'd lived by. Only now would it backfire on him.

The only thing to fear, is fear itself.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Stian

* * *

He felt good about where they were, until they passed the same stone for the eleventh time.

"We're lost." Stian piped up.

"Yeah, I know we're lost." Kristoff said, a bit annoyed. They continued through the forest, both almost eagerly awaiting coming across the rock again. When they came across it again, they both exhaled, exhausted.

"What do we do?" Kristoff asked.

"What do we do? I don't know, your the Mountain Man." Stian shrugged.

"If you couldn't tell, this isn't a normal forest. I know something for sure, we're not walking in circles. Something is wrong, and-" Kristoff was stopped. Stian heard the sound of clicking coming from deep inside the forest. It was loud, like something as snapping sticks, but louder and far off. Stian didn't want to figure out who, or probably what was making that sound. It faded into the distance, and the forest became quiet again.

"Where is Elsa..." Stian asked himself.

"We'll find her." Kristoff suddenly tensed up.

"What?" Stian asked.

"Don't move." he whispered. Stian tensed as well, not daring look at what was behind him. He felt warm air up against the back of his head. Warm liquid, probably mucus, flew against his hair. Stian was not only grossed out, but terrified. The King disobeyed Kristoff's warning, and slowly turned around.

"Kristoff?" Stian asked, his voice incredibly high, "You said those paintings of those deformed men scared you as a kid?" Kristoff nodded. Stian knew Kristoff wasn't afraid of much. If this was a deep childhood fear that had stuck with him, Stian could see why.

Breathing on Stian's neck was a eight foot tall man, clothed in multiple different furs. Its head, though, was what really got Stian. Halfway up its neck, the skin turned rough, and its head contorted into an odd shape. A pig.

"Kristoff, why does your fear have to be so dang scary?" Stian asked. The Pig got the message, and roared a loud, otherworldly roar straight into Stian's face. Drool covered Stian's face. He wiped it off with his sleeve. "Run?" he asked.

"Run!" Kristoff screamed.

The two took off through the forest, with trees falling down all around them. Stian could hear the monster tailing close behind him, like an avalanche. They continued through the forest, Stian didn't bother looking for the stone, they were probably not making any progress anyway. Stian felt himself slowing, and getting tired. He made the mistake of slowing down, just slightly.

The Pig caught him by the ankles, and lifted Stian in the air.

"Kristoff, help!" he called. Kristoff stopped, and turned around. He reached for a rope, a pickaxe, anything. He had nothing. Stian heard the Pig roar, and closed his eyes. Stian felt wind on his face. When he opened his eyes, he found himself soaring through the air. Stian flailed uselessly as he his a large pine tree. He felt the bark scratch his skin, as he fell back down to the ground, hitting branches on his way. Stian felt the ground collide with his body, and everything went dark.

* * *

Kristoff

Fear was replaced with urgency. He had to protect his friend. Kristoff looked around for something to defend himself with. He found nothing but a few sticks, nothing that could hold off this Monster. Kristoff looked to the Pig, which was standing above him now. He maneuvered between its legs, and thought quickly. Kristoff raced to his right, and up into a tree. This thing couldn't climb trees, considering how large it was. He was surprised again, when the monster took hold of the tree, and began swaying it.

Kristoff took this opportunity to leap from the tree, and onto the Pig's back. It began to flail and roar, but Kristoff held on as hard as he could. He felt that if he were to open his mouth, he'd accidentally bite his tongue off. The Pig continued to buck as Kristoff held on uselessly. The Mountain Man leaned to the left, trying to get a better hold on the Pig. He felt it lurch in the same direction. He'd thrown it off balance. Kristoff leaned right, and the monster moved to the right. Left, and the monster went to the left. Alright...

Kristoff pulled backwards on it's back. The monster leaned backwards so quickly, that Kristoff couldn't retain his balance. The creature toppled down onto it's back, but Kristoff managed to release his hold from the Pig's back, and roll to the right. The monster landed, and didn't move. He'd done it. Kristoff had conquered his fear. He waited for the sun to rise.

It didn't.

He waited, and waited, before he noticed the Pig's raspy, slow breathing. He was awake. The monster rose to its feet again, staring with pure rage into Kristoff's eyes. The monster moved it's tree trunk-like arms, and swooped them down with incredible speed. It caught Kristoff's stomach, and sent him flying backwards into a tree, just like Stian. Kristoff couldn't breathe, and his vision went gray.

"Help..." he wheezed. The Pig took steps toward Kristoff to finish him off, the ground shaking with every step. Kristoff blacked out just as the monster reached him, staring face to face into his eyes. Kristoff saw hate in those milky white eyes.

He saw... He saw...


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Elsa

* * *

When she heard the scuffle going on across the forest, she, Hans, and Olaf sprinted towards it. What Elsa found was just what she wanted to, albeit not they way she wanted.

Kristoff and Stian were both unconscious, bruised and cut all over their bodies. Whatever it had been that had attacked them, it was gone now. Elsa could see where it had fled, leaving some trees bend and leaning either direction, making a large tunnel in the pine trees that something could fit through. Something big. Hilda said that this place played off their fears. Elsa remembered her time by the lake. The dancing...Thing.

When she was little, she read a book about an ancient monster, that Tribes used to tell their children about. It was called many things. The Naldooshi, the Medicine Man, the Wendigo, but Elsa preferred a more contemporary name for such a vile beast. The Skin Walker was something that could take the shape of its victims, and usually stocked the night, looking for more to add to its collection. It came out at night, and most accounts said it almost seemed to worship the moon, doing all sorts of graceful dances. Maybe it had been to preoccupied to with the moon to notice Elsa. But then the sun rose, and the moon set a tiny bit. Elsa hadn't seen it since then.

"Where do you think it went?" Hans asked, examining the tracks left behind in the dirt. Elsa snapped out of her mental stasis.

"I don't know. It obviously went that way, but where do you think it was going?" Olaf asked back. Elsa approached her unconscious husband, and prodded his shoulder with her finger.

"Stian..? Wake up..." she said softly.

Stian's eyes shot open.

Something was different about them. Elsa couldn't see any pupils or irises. Instead, his eyes gleamed with a blue fire. It waved in the breeze, not going out. The fire coming from Stian's eyes was the opposite of what fire should have been. It made Elsa extremely cold.

The air around Elsa dropped well below zero in under a second, and frost formed all around them, and snow that had started to fall only seconds ago stopped, suspended in midair.

"Stian!" Elsa pleaded. Not something like this again. The fire went out. Stian's normal, deep blue eyes returned. The air gradually came to a warmer temperature. Elsa noticed everybody was staring at him.

"What..? El- Elsa!?" he asked excitedly. The couple hugged fiercely, thinking they had lost each other. Elsa kissed her husband.

"What was that?" she asked. Stian looked around.

"I don't know. I woke up. I thought that thing had come back for us. I wanted to defend myself and Kristoff..."

"Your powers went out of control." Hans shivered.

"Sorry."

"No need." Elsa soothed.

"What happened?" Kristoff spoke, slowly coming to. He stood up slowly, and stood above Elsa and Stian, next to Olaf.

"What did you mean by 'that thing'?" Elsa asked.

"Kristoff's fear. Pig-Man." Stian said. Elsa almost smiled.

"It's not funny," Kristoff said, noticing Elsa's grin, "You can see what it did to us." he held out his arms.

"It went this way because something scared it off." Hans decided. "Lucky it did, too. I don't know what would have happened if you guys were alone and unconscious with that Pig for a few more seconds. Elsa heard a sound. She jumped, knowing that something like that ,in this forest, meant nothing good. It was a clicking coming from just behind a wall of trees. Stian tensed up.

"No..." he pleaded.

"Stian?" Elsa asked. Through the wall of trees came the most terrifying thing Elsa had ever seen. A spider, massive black and shiny, came clamoring through the trees. Its four beady eyes locked directly onto Stian, venom dripping from it's pincers. Elsa felt her skin crawl. She hated bugs, though, apparently not more that Stian. His eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he nearly fainted. "Stian, get up!" Elsa demanded. He did. This spider was easily fifteen feet all, its eight legs spreading over a large area.

"What do we do?" Olaf asked. Hans drew a sword.

"We fight." he grinned. Where had he gotten that? Had Cassius given it to him? No time...

Elsa extended her palm, but remembered something. Her powers didn't work here. But how did that explain Stian's...

"Stian! I need you to do that thing again!" Elsa yelled.

"What? What thing?" he asked.

"The thing! The thing with the fiery eyes?" she tried. Stian tried using his powers normally, to no avail.

"You think I can just do it on demand?" he shivered, eyeing the spider. The arachnid clicked towards Stian, who rolled out of the way, barely dodging one of the legs. Hans swiped one of the legs at the joint. A sickening crunch was heard, and the limb fell to the ground, useless. The spider toppled, but did not fall. Hans smiled at his success, but his face turned to one of horror when the nub of a limb slowly grew outwards. Within a few seconds, the spider had a completely new leg.

"You have to try!" Kristoff joined in. Stian closed his eyes, then opened them. He looked upset. Again. Nothing.

"Try harder!" Elsa pleaded, rolling out of the way of a giant leg. The creature continued to Stian, who had been backed up against a tree.

"I am!" he cried.

"Stian!"

The spider took Stian in its pincers, and spun him around. Stian was incredibly pale, and on the verge of either passing out or vomiting, whichever came first. Soon enough, a silk cocoon took the place of the King between the spider's jaws. Elsa felt a new feeling come over her. Anger. Not to violent, but she was mad at this thing... Mad at it... For who knew why. Stian was probably in that cocoon, slowly fading away. She had to bring him back.

"Stian! Stian!" she called. The silk prison remained still.

"Stian!" she called one more time. Silence.

This time, the cocoon shook softly. And again. And again. Had it worked?

A blinding blue light pierced the night air, which forced Elsa to close her eyes. When she was brave enough to open them again, the forest was completely flash frozen. Elsa looked at her own body, which was coated with a thick layer of frost. The cold never bothered her, but this was a new level of freezing. Elsa shivered violently as she looked around for Stian.

There he was, standing right in front of the spider, fearless. His face was determined and angry. The spider lashed at him with its maw, but Stian flew, literally, to his left side, moving out of the way easily. Frosty wind followed Stian as he soared through the air, finally placing himself on the spider's back. He said something in a different language, and touched his palm to the spider's hairy black back. Instantly, it was frozen where it stood, now a white spider. Stian stood for a second, making sure it was frozen solid. He the stomped his foot. Elsa was almost thrown back by a massive force. When the frost and dust cleared, Stian stood alone in the middle of a clearing that hadn't been there before. Elsa noticed most of the pines now stood at an eighty degree angle, being blown over by the explosion. Stian raised his arms over his head, something Elsa was all too familiar with. The snow, frost, and cold lifted into the air. He brought his hands together, making it collide to form a giant snowflake. He moved his hands away from each other, and the snowflake dispersed.

Elsa noticed warmth against her neck. She turned and, to her delight, had found the sun had risen even more. Instead of a faint trace of pink, there was orange over the horizon now. Stian had conquered his fear.

He fell to his knees, panting. Elsa rushed to comfort him.

"Stian, what was that?" she asked. He looked into her eyes, a little scared, but happy that everybody was safe.

"I don't know."


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Stian

* * *

He had never felt that much power in his life. Stian had been trying to break out of the silky prison, before he lost all hope. Then he heard Elsa. She sounded completely desperate. He could hear the fear in her voice. He wasn't losing her again. He wasn't going to let anything happen to her. Then it happened. Stian felt himself warm up, then the cocoon burst.

He saw everything like he almost underwater, a blue film over his eyes, constantly rippling. Except Stian knew it wasn't water, it was fire. He didn't care. The only way everybody would get out of this alive was to face his fear. To squash the spider.

Stian had never felt his powers that intensely before in his entire life. He couldn't just control the cold, he _was _the cold. He moved like a flurry of snow, quickly and silently. Stian noticed the flash-frozen woods around him, but there was no time to lose. He didn't know why he did it, but after defeating the spider, the blue film in his vision vanished. He felt tired and drained, and just wanted to sleep. For some reason, though, he felt that if he did, he would would not wake up for a long time. If at all.

He lay down, and felt Elsa take him in her arms.

"Stian, you did it..." she brushed his hair out of his face.

"I did..." he grinned.

"Guys, we should get moving." Kristoff advised. He glanced nervously at the dark passage through the forest that the Pig had taken. Something told Stian that it wasn't going to be gone for long. The two stood up, and surveyed their surroundings. They began to move in the opposite direction from where the monster had gone. The shadows being cast by the trees were now even more elongated, making their own shadows dance amongst the darkness of the trees.

"Where have you guys been?" Kristoff asked, as they trudged through the forest.

"It's a long story. We met two other element bearers." Hans said.

"You did?" Stian asked excitedly.

"They agreed to help us if we purified the forest. Face our fears one by one, the sun will rise, they'll join us, and we'll close the Conduit." Elsa guessed.

"How would we get back to Arendelle?" Stian asked.

"This forest has been dark for ages. It was recently lit, but not for a long time. The daytime here is a gate to the other world. That's what Asle used. After she left, she needed a way to turn the Shadowside back to darkness. We haven't conquered our fears, we came here, and the world turned back to darkness. Now we just need to face our fears, bring back the light, and go to sleep." Olaf said.

Everybody stared.

Olaf giggled.

"Cassius told me a lot."

Hans looked to Kristoff, and they both shrugged, continuing into the woods.

"So we need to wait to be attacked by an evil monster, defeat it, rinse and repeat?" Stian asked.

"That's the gist of it." Elsa said.

* * *

"Where exactly are we going?" Olaf panted. They'd been walking for a few hours now, not seeing or hearing anything that Stian thought anybody was afraid of. Some birds here, a fox or two there, but nothing anybody was afraid of.

"Your fear isn't birds or foxes is it?" Stian asked, looking to Hans. Elsa and Kristoff both laughed.

"No. It isn't." He folded his arms. The group continued on in silence, listening and waiting for something to happen. For the first time in his life, Stian wanted something to attack him. He wanted to go home. He wanted-

He saw it.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw it. A man, or at least, he thought it was a man. He was tall, but not abnormally. Stian would describe it as a black silhouette, but with distinct features. He could make out two eyes, a mouth, and ears. He only saw the man for a split second, before he disappeared into the trees.

"Did you guys see that?" he asked. They all stopped.

"See what?" Elsa scanned the forest around her. The whole group was completely alert. They saw nothing.

"There was..." Stian looked into the trees. He could have sworn he had seen somebody. "Never mind." Everybody eyed him, suspiciously. They continued walking until Hans stopped in his tracks.

"Oh my-" he stopped himself.

"What?" Kristoff asked. Stian knew what he had seen.

"Hans, did you see him?" Stian tried. Hans said nothing at first, then looked to him nervously.

"Him?" he asked.

"The man. In the trees."

"Yeah. He's... He's gone now." Hans said.

"What are you guys talking about?" Kristoff put his hands on his hips.

"Hans, what is your biggest fear?" Elsa asked.

"N-nothing. It's nothing."

"Hans."

"I thought it was nothing... I really did. I'm sorry, everybody." he confessed.

"What is it, Hans?" Stian asked nervously.

"I raised on the ideal that the only thing to fear is Fear itself." he threw his hands into the air. Everybody went silent.

"Fear?"

"What is Fear?" Elsa asked.

"I always imagined it as-" Hans was interrupted by a snorting coming from behind them. Stian almost grinned. He spun around, and sure enough, bounding through the forest was the Pig. He looked angry, and ready to end this fight. What a coincidence.

"Finally." Stian stepped towards the monster, with confidence. What was he going to do, eat him? Fine. Stian was tired of being scared. He stepped up to the Pig, face to face. "I'm not afraid of you. Not anymore." Stian held out his palm, prepared to freeze the beast. Then he remembered. A nervous smile spread across Stian's face.

"Ha, ha... This is, ha... I'm sorry." Stian ran back behind Elsa, holding her in front of him. He saw Elsa glance at Kristoff, who appeared to be fidgety. The Pig was his fear for sure. Stian wanted to get rid of this monster. He wanted to go home.

"What's the plan?" Stian asked, taking his spot beside Elsa. Hans drew his sword, and dashed towards the Pig.

"What plan?" he asked.

Hans was a flurry of steel and adrenaline. After a few seconds of rolling and swiping with his words, he leapt onto the monster's back. Kristoff's eyes widened as he realized what Hans was trying to do.

"Hey, over here!" Kristoff said, working up a distraction. The Pig turned its back to the couple, focusing on Kristoff. Elsa and Stian glanced at each other. They both leapt onto its back, and hung on for dear life. The Pig bucked and flailed.

"Hans!" Kristoff yelled, motioning for Hans to throw him the sword. The Prince didn't even have to throw it. Hans released his grip, and the sword clamored to the ground, straight to Kristoff's feet. The monster continued to flail. Stian saw barely saw Kristoff take his aim. He made special care not to hit any of his friends, and swung the sword. Stian squeezed his eyes shut.

The bucking stopped, and Stian hit the ground.

"Did it work?" he asked, eyes still shut.

"It worked." Kristoff panted. Stian looked around. No sign of the beast. It must have devolved, like the monster by the lake. Stian looked to the sky, and sure enough, the sun started to rise. There was a light blue color in the sky. It was now officially dawn.

"I say we have one more beast to take care of... Hans." Stian looked to the Prince. Hans nodded. Stian focused his attention to the corner of his eye. Sure enough, there was the man.

Fear.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Hans

* * *

He and Stian quickly turned to face the man, but he was gone. Hans viscously scanned the forest.

"What did you see?" Elsa asked. Hans was preoccupied, he didn't say anything. He noticed his hands shaking violently, but that didn't stop him. His mind was screaming "Face your fear!" whilst his body wanted to do nothing but run away and hide.

"Hans! To your left! Don't take your eyes off him!" Stian called. Hans spun to the left, and saw him. The man wasn't in his peripheral vision anymore. He stood only ten feet away from Hans, staring directly at him. He wore a long, black cloak that seemed to turn into smoke instead of seams at the end of its sleeves and hem. His drawn hood covered most of his face, but what Hans could see is a deathly white chin, with a smile.

"Glad you could make it." Hans said.

"As am I." Fear began pacing around Hans. They circled each other, while Stian watched carefully from the background. Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf still looked around, as if they couldn't see him.

"What took you so long?" Hans asked, with open arms. Fear continued pacing, paying no mind.

"I've been following you, Hans. Longer than you may care to remember, but I've always been there. Your friends have all completed the task I've given them. And now, you'll try to complete yours." Fear said, his voice deep and angry.

"I'll succeed." Hans said.

"I have no doubt you'll try."

Hans paused for a second. Something was familiar about this man. He couldn't see his face, but Hans could have sworn he'd seen him before.

"You recognize me, don't you? That's not surprising. I've been influencing people like you since the dawn of time." Fear croaked.

"People... Like me?" Hans asked.

"Hans, who are you-" Kristoff started to ask, when his eyes locked onto a point. He saw Fear too. Hans wasn't sure if that was a good thing, but now he had somebody else who could back him up if worse came to worst.

"We need to get back to Anna. The only way to do that is to defeat you." Stian said.

"Defeat me?" Fear took a glance at Stian, then locked his eyes back to Hans. At least, Hans thought so. No eyes were visible under the hood. "You can't defeat Fear! I've been around since the dawn of time, and I'll stay here until everything ends. Which..." Fear looked to the sky, "May be a bit sooner than you thing. Hans, people like you have been around since the dawn of mankind. People are afraid of the dark for reasons, you know? So when I successfully placed a pearl of fear into the hearts of all humanity, I decided to move on."

"To where?" Stian asked.

"The Shadowside, of course! I created my own humans who would always live in fear of the darkness. See, I feed off fear. It's sort of like... Energy, or a nice cake to me. I can't get enough!" he laughed. When Hans said laughed, it sounded more like a high pitched nail across stained glass. It wasn't pleasant at all. Hans looked to Elsa, who was now fixated on Fear as well. They could all see him.

"But when I arrived here, the sun was up! It was daytime, there was no darkness!" Hans argued.

Fear shrugged, "People conquered their fears. I realized I needed more humans. This world, the Shadowside, it's tiny compared to yours. Only a few hundred miles, really. I needed to get back to Earth. Problem was, the Conduit was closed. The portal that I used to create the Shadowside was gone, because of the absence of pure hatred. I needed somebody full of evil, full of darkness to reopen the Conduit."

Hans eyes widened. "Somebody full of darkness... Asle...Guys, get back!" He yelled. They all started, but froze where they stood. A thin black smoke surround all of their bodies, rendering movement impossible. It was like a thin layer of stone.

"Oh, look, you've got me monologuing. That girl thought her powers were speaking to her. That was preposterous, it was me." Fear admitted.

"You made Asle... What she is..." Elsa tried.

"I did. And now she's executing my plan perfectly. She thinks it's what she wants, merging our two worlds together. My failed subject Sitna told you what would happen if that were to occur right?" he asked, approaching Hans.

"Nothing."

"Exactly! He's wrong, though. After all light and darkness merged, there would be something. Emotion. Raw human emotion would be left over. What would people be feeling as their world came crashing down, as everything they knew ceased to exist?" Fear asked. Hans knew the answer. The Prince's eyeballs moved to Stian, whom he saw was breathing very deeply. A thin, white mist was covering the inside of the shell of smoke. Stian was escaping. Elsa caught Hans' eye, and looked to her husband as well. Her eyes grew large, as she also starting fighting back. Hans had to distract him.

"I couldn't have light in either world, so I got Asle to kill the two light bearers, and store their powers away where nobody could ever find them-"

"She never _was_ really good at hiding things, was she?" asked an old voice. Fear spun around, and came face to face with none other than Hilda and Cassius. Hilda held two spheres in her hands, each full of yellow light. Hans remembered them from the building they met in. Hilda spoke, "Sorry it took us so long, Dearies, Cassius changed my mind."

"Hilda!" Elsa shouted through the muffled smoke.

"You!" Fear said, swiping his hand down at the old woman. Hilda moved expertly, leaping backwards into Cassius' arms. It was almost comical. Cassius extended his palm, and white hot flame shot from it. Fear staggered backwards, before regaining balance. "Where did you find those?" he demanded.

"We've had 'em." Cassius smiled. "Hans, turned out we were wrong. There is a way to get back to Arendelle without defeating Fear."

"What?" Hans asked, feeling the smoke dissipate. He must be facing his fear. Cassius took one of the orbs from his Grandmother, and looked to Hans.

"We've talked about this a lot, Hans. You still have traces of darkness and fear in your heart. Elsa and Stian already have powers, and I don't think Olaf would be able to handle this kind of strength." Hilda scratched her chin. She nodded to her Grandson. "Only one person here can successfully wield this. Kristoff, honey." Hilda smiled.

"No!" Fear gasped. Cassius tossed the orb in Kristoff's direction. The smoke surrounding him appeared to fade the closer the sphere got. Hans saw how unsure Kristoff was, as he dove, and caught the sphere in his hands. The smoke around everybody immediately dissipated. Hans heard something shatter, and the light that was once inside the sphere poured out. Kristoff looked directly into it, while everybody else looked away. The brightness was blinding. Hans was concerned that Kristoff may go blind. After a few seconds, the light faded.

Kristoff now stood, fire in his eyes. Literally.

Much like Stian's blue fire, Kristoff's irises and pupils were no longer there, and fire blazed in their place. Pure white, it gave off an otherworldly glow. It was warm, and made Hans feel happy. Fear was now on his knees, crippled in front of Hans. Hilda and Cassius rushed past Hans, and joined Kristoff, Olaf, Elsa, and Stian at the other end of the clearing.

"Kristoff?" Elsa asked.

"We're going to get Anna." he said, his voice very authoritative. A stark white light started around Kristoff, and spread to the others. Hans realized what was happening, and quickly made his way to his friends. The light enveloped him as well.

"Kristoff, what happened?" Stian asked.

"We need one more light bearer." he answered.

"So that means you-" Hans never got to finish his sentence. Leaving Fear crippled in the middle of the clearing, he began rising off the ground. It was slow and gradual at first, but once they reached a few meters in the air, they shot up like a rocket. The night sky was now probably midday. Hans felt like his face was going to peel off, they were going so fast. He looked up, and his eyes began to water. He closed them.

* * *

When Hans woke up, he found it had worked.

He was in a dim throne room, cuddled up to a Snowman. The others were groggily awakening. Kristoff's eyes were no longer glowing. He just looked even more tired. Hans heard a very loud noise from just the room next to him. It sounded like the wind was trying to knock over the building. Kristoff had done it. He'd saved them. And even more important, he now had the powers of light.

They were back in Arendelle.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Elsa

* * *

She never really expected her Sister to become a pawn in the manifestation of Fear's big plan to get a good meal.

Hilda and Cassius stood in the corner of the room, sleeping standing up. They're eyes shot open, and they realized where they were.

"I haven't set foot in this place in... years..." Hilda said, awestruck. She wondered the room, before noticing the deafening sound coming from just outside the throne room. "Is that..?"

"My Sister. She's opening the Conduit." Elsa said.

"Asle got to her somehow... Now she's... I don't know. Her heart is full of darkness. Anybody have any ideas on how to fix that?" Hans asked. Olaf gasped excitedly.

"Kristoff!" he exclaimed. Olaf was right. Kristoff held the other orb in his left hand. He inspected it closely.

"I guess... If we can get this thing to Anna, without going through the Conduit again, we might be able to give her the gift of light. That may clear all the darkness from her heart." The group nodded, and approached the door to the main hall, where the beam was coming from. Elsa stood by the door, breathing heavily. She felt Stian put his hand on hers.

"You ready?" he asked.

"No." she said, and pushed open the door. It wasn't what she expected.

The main hall was perfectly fine, with no damage of kind. Atop the stairway, stood Anna. She stood with harms raised slightly above her waist. Her eyes were empty, and so was her gaze. It gave Elsa the chills. How could her little Sister, the most positive, loving, carefree person in the world be turned against her entire kingdom, her entire world, that fast?

"What do we do?" Hans asked. The force from the beam blew Elsa's hair back, along with all sorts of dust; so Elsa could barely hear him.

"Anna!" she yelled over the roaring wind. Nothing. Elsa saw Kristoff take a step forward. She knew why. Without a word, he stepped heavily towards his wife, covering his face with one hand, holding the sphere of light in the other.

Kristoff began up the grand staircase, carefully putting each foot upon each step. He now stood directly in front of Anna. Elsa could see how nervous he was. Kristoff held out the orb, but was immediately blasted backward by something. He was sent flailing through the air, dropping the sphere. Elsa thought fast, and ran to catch it. She dove, slid, and caught it barely in the palm of her hand. Kristoff slammed against the ground behind her. Elsa stood up, and turned around.

"Kris-" she started to say, before she was sent flying backwards in a similar way. Luckily, Elsa kept her grip on the sphere. A hand entered her vision, and Kristoff helped her up. "What was that?" she asked. Kristoff pointed. Behind Anna, on the stairway, she stood. What shocked Elsa was what she held in her hand.

Asle gripped Sitna's bloodied cloak.

"What did you do to Sitna?" Stian demanded. Asle shot him a look.

"Nothing to concern yourself with. What matters now it that I've completed my task. Soon, the Shadowside and Earth will merge, and nothingness will take over. All thanks to myself." she smiled.

"That's just it, Asle. This isn't you." Elsa said.

"What are you talking about?"

"Fear. Fear did this to you."

"I am not afraid." she said.

"No, not fear, Fear. With a capital F. Asle, he's existed since the beginning of time. He created Shadowside, and spoke to you to do his bidding." Hans yelled. Asle dropped the cloak, and stepped around Anna.

"My powers are my own. Have you said 'hello' to your Sister yet, Elsa?" Asle asked. Elsa looked away, controlling her rage. "Yes, I don't think she's up for talking right now. She's a little busy helping yours truly."

"Let her go." Elsa ordered.

"Let it Go!" Asle taunted. Her voice cruelly mimicking Elsa's, "Let it Go, Let it Go, can't hold it back anymore! Why would I do that?" she asked harshly, beginning her way down the stairs. Elsa clenched her fist, frost forming all around it. She noticed a very faint blue film flicker in her vision. "Oh, your threatening me? Elsa, please. Your powers, even like that, are no mach for mine."

"Like what?" Elsa asked, clenching her jaw.

"Your eyes. They're on fire." she said, as if it were obvious. "I've tried for years to master that skill. Somehow I could just never get it. But you... You can do it just like that?"

Elsa became nervous, but the fire was still in her eyes.

"I guess that's what happens then. You try for years to achieve something, and next thing you know somebody who's been hiding their powers their whole life can do it like it's nothing. You know what I have to say to that?" Asle asked. She flicked her wrist. A large cloud of smoke came speeding at Elsa with the ferocity of an avalanche. Elsa wasn't about to let Asle win this fight. This was her kingdom. This was Arendelle, and she wasn't about to to let the citizens down. Elsa extended her palm, and shot an icy blast at the smoke. A hissing arose, and steam filled the room, making it impossible to see.

When it settled, the black smoke stood about a meter or two in front of Elsa, frozen in its place. Asle gasped. She raised her hand to shoot another blast of snow, but Elsa whipped her hand upwards, causing a flurry of magic to knock her hand away uselessly, and toss Asle to the floor. Everybody watched in awe. Elsa looked at Kristoff.

"Go!" she said.

He remained still for a while, before moving once again to the top of the stairs. Asle glanced at him and made the decision of stopping Elsa instead. Good. Asle shot wave after wave of smoke and obsidian shards at Elsa, all of which she frozen in midair. Hans rushed up the stairs with Kristoff, while Stian took his place by Elsa's side.

"It's too late!" Asle roared over the fighting. Elsa's limbs were moving on their own, mechanically freezing things in mid-flight, and knocking Asle off balance. "The Conduit is already open! Where are the other element bearers, huh?" Asle asked.

"Right here." answered a voice. In the doorway stood Yuri, next to Hilda. Behind them, everybody who Arendelle had recruited throughout the past couple of weeks. Cassius and Malva for fire, Jack and Elizabeth for stone, and balanced between their shoulders was...

"Sitna!" Stian exclaimed. Asle looked to Stian, then locked eyes on Sitna.

"I killed you." she said, in disbelief. Sitna was badly hurt, with burns and cuts covering his whole body. He wore a pair of pants, but nothing else. Elsa could see how pale he was, and just how badly he was hurt. He looked up, blood dripping from his lip.

"Come on, then. Third times the charm..." he said in his accent. Asle roared, as she sent a large spike of obsidian flying at Sitna. He calmly pushed the others away, and stood on his own two shaky feet. Sitna's eyes flared, black fire filling them as they went blank. He could do it too, whatever it was. He positioned his bare feet in a way to give him more stability, and faced his palm up. A small wall of black stone rose from the ground, catching the spike.

"You can..." Asle screamed as she sent spike after spike to Sitna, all of which were blocked easily. Sitna glanced up at Kristoff and nodded. Elsa shifted her focus. Kristoff held Anna by her waist. She was still unresponsive. He took the orb in two hands, and grasped it so hard that it broke. A small yellow light poured out, and began flying about the room. It cast large, black shadows due to the amount of light that it gave off. It was impressive, and nobody in the room moved an inch. The Conduit still blazed, and Elsa saw it flicker a little. The light finally approached Anna, and entered through her eyes.

The light that Kristoff gave off was nothing compared to this. If Elsa hadn't closed her eyes, covered them, and turned away, she would have gone blind in an instant. Maybe worse. The Conduit slowed from a roar to a hum. Elsa opened her eyes.

There stood Anna, in all her glory. White fire blazing in her eyes, standing next to Kristoff.

"It happened." she said, softly. Anna closed her eyes, and collapsed. Kristoff caught her tenderly, and hefted her up into his arms. Elsa heard Asle wail at the top of her lungs.

"You... You all are idiots! Can't you see what I'm trying to do!?" she roared. Everybody stood firm in their thoughts. Asle sent another spike, this time at Anna and Kristoff. Kristoff raised his hand, and a bright cloud appeared in front of him. It caught the spike, then dissipated. The spike fell uselessly to the ground. Asle screamed again, before becoming muffled, and stopping.

Behind her, Fear flickered into existence, a clenched fist around Asle's neck. Everybody took a step back.

"Thank you Asle, but your services are no longer needed." he said, smoke beginning to rise from where he was gripping her. He released her, and Asle fell to the ground, unconscious and badly injured. Elsa almost felt sorry for her. Fear took a step forward, and pulled down his hood.

Instead of a head, like Elsa expected was under the hood, she got something else entirely. Under the hood, clicking and creaking, was a human skill with dark, empty eyes. The only things that filled the darkness of his eye sockets were two minuscule red dots of light. "My reclamation has begun," he creaked. The skull's mouth opened again, a voice coming from deep within it.

"And you are hopeless to stop it."


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Anna

* * *

She didn't feel anything at all. One second she was on her way to the shelter, the next minute she was collapsing into Kristoff's arms. Anna had seen Asle. She'd said... Something...

"Your heart is full of darkness, Anna." she beckoned. Anna stood at the top of the stairs, petrified.

"No... No it isn't."

"Oh, but it is. Think of your Sister." Asle said.

"What... What about Elsa?"

"She cares nothing about you. She doesn't even care to... What was it? Build a snowman?" Asle asked. Anna felt her eyes tear up.

"She's just... Too busy. That's why..." she choked.

"But she isn't. Elsa has time to chase boys around and build palaces made from ice, but she can't even do the one thing her Sister has asked her to do her whole life? She doesn't care about you, Anna. You're just the spare." Asle said. As she spoke these words, the real Anna seemed to fade away. The Anna who was carefree, and wanted nothing more than to make people happy. A new Anna filled her shoes. This one was angry, lonely, and lost. Asle was right. She hated Elsa. She had made her life a solitary one, while she selfishly locked herself up in her room to pass the hours, so nobody would get hurt. Well, we saw how well that worked when it came to the Great Thaw, now didn't it? It was all pointless.

Then, Anna's vision went white.

* * *

"Anna! Anna!" she heard Kristoff call. His voice was muffled at first, but then it became clearer. Anna's head hurt like crazy.

"You... You all are idiots! Can't you see what I'm trying to do?" roared another voice. This was Asle. Anna felt herself get angry, but then it faded quickly with concern. She propped herself up against Kristoff, and looked to her friends. Elsa and Stian stood there, a bit sweaty, and breathing heavily like they had just been in some sort of fight. All of the other element bearers stood by the door, ready to help in any way they could. Anna heard a whizzing fill the air, like something had gotten thrown at them. An intensely bright light manifested in front of her, and caught the object. A spear of obsidian. Where had the light come from. She looked to Kristoff, and saw his palm extended, the tips of his fingers touching the light.

"...Kristoff?"

"Thank you Asle, but your services are no longer needed." Anna heard another voice say. She didn't recognize this one at all, and it was followed by a muffled, painful scream. Below her, on the staircase, a figure stood next to Asle. It had its hand clenched around her neck, and Asle flailed uselessly to get free. Anna wanted to help, but Kristoff held her back. Anna noticed her hands giving off a sort of glow.

"...What is... What is this?" she panted. Anna turned just in time to watch the figure lower its hood. A skull took the place of a normal human head. Anna was purely terrified when she saw what lay under the hood.

"My reclamation has begun. And you are hopeless to stop it." the skeleton said. Its voice sounded like church bells. Not the happy marriage kind, but the sad death kind.

"I beg to differ!" said one of the bearers, Jack. He stomped on the ground, and a giant boulder rose from below his feet. The skeleton waved his bony hand, and Jack clasped his throat. His Sister, Elizabeth, ran to his aid.

"Jack! Jack?!" she tried. He didn't speak, and his legs gave out under him. He lay on the ground, still. Elizabeth put her fingers to his neck, sobbing.

"He's..." she couldn't finish. Dead.

This set the others off. They all launched into a frenzy, throwing whatever they could at the skeleton. Rocks, fire, energy, ice... Light?

"Kristoff?" she asked weakly. He still held Anna firmly around her waist with his right arm, but his left arm was moving in all sorts of grand ways. Anna noticed the light in the room shifting. It was moving and striking with Kristoff's movements.

"Help me with this?" he asked. Anna stood on her own now, unsure of what he meant. "I have some explaining to do. You have powers now."

"Powers?"

"Light."

"Light?"

"Yes. Aim at Fear."

"What do you mean?" Anna asked, a bit annoyed. She noticed the light in the room grow a bit more intense.

"That's it! It's tied to your emotions, just like Elsa! Fear's that skeleton, right there." Kristoff said, now using both arms to bend the light to his will. The skeleton stood there, unmoving. Anna moved her hand a bit, unsure. Sure enough, the light in the room danced along the walls. She moved her hands in such a way, acting like she was pulling a tapestry from the wall. The light literally left the confines of the wall, and danced in a large cloud in the air. Anna looked to the skeleton, and willed the light into him. Sure enough, the light dissipated, but he didn't budge. Soon, the battle died down. Everybody stopped what they were doing. They heard a deep laughter. Fear looked up.

"I said... You were hopeless to stop it." he said, and extended both arms. A gust of wind blew so strong, it knocked Anna back into the stained glass window, ten meters behind her, and sent her crashing through onto the cobblestone outside. She had definitely broken something. When her senses came back, Kristoff lay next to her. He writhed in pain.

"Kristoff." Anna reached for her Husband's hand. He took hers.

"Anna..." he pointed to the Castle. Anna gasped.

Where Arendelle castle was, there was now rubble. Nothing remained but strewn wood and bent bits of metal and glass. It was destroyed. All of it. Where were they? What had happened to Elsa? What had happened to Stian, Olaf and Hans?

"**Elsa!**" Anna screamed. It hurt incredibly bad. "**Elsa!**"

Nothing.

Anna felt hope fading fast. Then...

"Anna..?"

It was weak, but she heard it.

"El..sa..." Anna yelled, quieter this time. Every time she breathed, she could swear she heard a rib or two cracking.

"Anna!"

As Anna's vision turned blurry, she saw two blue spots dashing towards her. Elsa and Stian. Anna extended her hand. The spots reached her, and Elsa took her hand.

"Anna! Stay with me, come on! We're not losing you again!" Elsa cried.

"Elsa..."

"Anna! Stay with me!" Stian called. Anna felt her eyes roll back in her head.

"**Anna!**"


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Elsa

* * *

Anna lay in her hands, limp. She was still breathing, but there was some blood coming from her torso. Kristoff was still vaguely awake. Fear had completely obliterated Arendelle Castle, not sparing anything. Elsa hadn't seen Olaf or anybody else. She'd flew from the castle, and landed on her back. Luckily Stian had conjured a snowdrift to break their fall. Unluckily, Anna and Kristoff didn't have the same experience. Elsa could only hope that the shelter under the castle had held up, and that none of the citizens were hurt.

"Help me with her." Elsa said, determined to get Anna to help. Stian threw one of Anna's arms arms around his neck, while he hefted Kristoff up onto his back. Elsa looked at him, making sure Anna was secure. This was the first time in a few weeks that Elsa had really _looked_ at Stian. His hair was longer, which Elsa didn't think was possible. Now, without being styled, it hung around his nose, covering his eyes with a curtain of platinum blond. She didn't think to talk about him with what he went through when he had his amnesia, but it looked like it had really gotten to him.

"Where do we take them?" he asked. Elsa broke her gaze. She looked around. There was really nowhere safe to bring the two.

"I don't know... This isn't going well is it?" she asked.

"Not too good, no." Stian agreed. Elsa had lost all hope. She wasn't trying to look at the grim outcome, but she was looking at the situation realistically now. If Fear could incapacitate Asle with little to no problem, what could he do to the rest of them? Stian's glance shot to a pile of rubble. It began moving.

"Help..." a voice called from inside. Elsa and Stian looked at each other and rushed, Anna and Kristoff in tow, to the rubble. Elsa tenderly laid them down on the cobblestone, and moved to the shrapnel. She and Stian dug through the mangled wood and glass, until they found a hand. "Please..." the voice said weakly. The couple kept digging, desperate to help whoever was under there. They uncovered the buried person completely within a few minutes.

"Asle..?" Elsa asked.

"Help me..." she coughed. "Please." She was still buried from her waist down, unable to move.

Now, Elsa wasn't one to hold a grudge, but this was different. Now that the person who had caused her so much pain, so much turmoil was here in front of her, begging for her help, Elsa was beyond angry.

"Why should we?" she spat.

"Please..."

"Why? For all that you've done for us? All that you've done _to_ us? I will not help you. I'm going to end this. Now." Elsa said, pressing her palm against Asle's neck. Frost began to coat her body. Asle began to squirm.

"Elsa... Please..."

"Why? Did you think twice about opening the Conduit? Did you think twice about killing your whole family to come to power? Did you think twice before brainwashing my Husband? _Did you think twice before hurting everybody I love?_" she screamed. Elsa tightened her grip, Asle began to choke violently.

"Elsa, wait." Stian yelled. Elsa noticed she was gritting her teeth. Her expression fell, as she looked to Stian. "Is this what you are? When did killing somebody become okay?"

"Asle has to face what she's done." Elsa said, still holding to Asle neck.

"_So what?_ Are we just going to kill anybody who's made a wrong turn in life? Somebody who might possibly be able to change?"

"You can't understand, Stian. Every time I see the brighter side in things, I try to understand. Not now. Not today. I help the people who these people have wronged. All the victims, Asle's, Hans', Hodur's, Fear's, all the innocent people who have died because I've spared the people who killed them! She'll never change! She's pure darkness, and we've seen that! We know that!" Elsa yelled. Stian was silent for a few seconds.

"Elsa... We can't be like her. We have a baby, a daughter that will look up to one day. Do you want her to know that her Mother killed somebody defenseless in cold blood for something stupid like revenge?" Stian asked. Elsa released Asle's neck. She gasped, and breathed heavily.

"Help..." she begged. Elsa still looked at Stian. She noticed a shimmer in her peripheral vision. Asle was trying to get herself out. Elsa turned to help, but froze. On top of the pile of rubble stood Fear.

"It is within us all. Anger. Fear. Hatred. It took until now for you to see this." he said, and extended his palm to Elsa. Elsa's sight switched from Fear to Asle, debating which problem to take care of first. She's prove him wrong. Elsa moved to help the Dark Queen, when something shot from Fears hand. Elsa barely had time to move, before Elsa was shoved to the side, and something blocked the object. At first, she thought she or Stian had erected a small shield of ice to defend her with. Then she heard a thud behind her. Elsa turned, and gasped.

Stian clutched the two foot long spike of obsidian, which protruded from his stomach. Blood dripped from the wound, and from his mouth. Elsa rushed to her Husband.

"Stian! Stian! Stian! It's okay! We can get you to the infirmary! We can make you okay again... Stian..." she tried. Kristoff slowly rose to his feet behind her, clutching, regaining consciousness.

"Hey..." Stian breathed, trying to calm her down.

"Shh, shh... It's okay, you'll be okay, you'll be fine..." she cried. His body was trembling in hers.

"Elsa... Elsa... It's okay..." he said, shakily.

"Feel this emotion." Fear said behind her.

"**Shut up!**" Elsa screamed behind her shoulder. "Stian, please... You've lived through worse... Please."

"...You and Asle... You both have light in your heart... You're both good leaders... You just... Need to remember that." Stian said, sniffing.

"Stian, no! Think of everybody, think of Neiva! Stian, please, no..."

"I...love...you..." he said, his shakily slowly fading.

"Don't... Please, don't go... Please..." Elsa begged.

"Remember... Elsa..." he said, letting out one last breath.

"Stian? Stian?!" Elsa buried her head in his shoulder. He didn't move. She looked back to where fear once stood. He was gone. Asle had dug herself out a bit, desperately trying to either help or kill them. Kristoff stood, not knowing what to do. Anna was still out of it. Elsa buried her head back into Stian's shoulder. She let out a wail. The loudest, most heart-wrenching sound she'd ever made.

Her life was ruined. Arendelle was destroyed, her Sister was injured and Stian was...

She cried harder.

He lay there, cold and limp in her arms. A hand rested on her shoulder.

"We need to stop this before anybody else gets hurt." Asle said. Elsa lifted her head, and looked to Asle like a scared child looked to her Mother. She didn't know what to do.

"How..?" she cried.

"I don't know. Now we're missing two element bearers. Elsa, when Stian forgot who he was, he told me all about his life. He told about growing up. He told me about his best friend, and how she'd stop at nothing to make sure her friends weren't in trouble. I knew he was talking about you. He wouldn't want you to change, Elsa. We need to finish this. Now or never." Asle offered her hand. Elsa looked at the destruction around her. She looked at her Sister, who now rustled. She was waking up. Elsa took her hand.

Asle walked to Anna, and put her hand to her body.

"What are you doing?" Elsa asked, skeptical.

"Helping."

A faint, bright purple light went from Asle's palm to Anna's stomach. Anna's eyes shot open.

"What happened, where-? Asle!"

"It's fine, Anna." Elsa said. Anna examined her Sister.

"No, it's not. Elsa, what happened?" she asked. Elsa looked away, trying to hold back the tears. She saw Asle point. Anna's expression sank.

"What? Why- who would do this?"

"Fear."

"We need to stop him." Anna said.

"We've agreed on that." Kristoff said. Anna stood.

"Let's show him. Nobody messes with Arendelle." Anna said, trying to sound upbeat. But something still ate at Elsa. Something still made her want to go back. Elsa had been so angry when Stian had convinced her otherwise. He didn't know that she had listened to him. In the last moments of Stian's life, he'd seen a woman he didn't recognize at all.

She didn't even get to apologize.


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Kristoff

* * *

"Was there anything you could do?" Elsa asked.

"Anna just had a few broken ribs. That was an easy fix. Stian... He wasn't as lucky." Asle answered.

"I understand."

The walked around the wreckage of the castle, finding those in need of their help. Luckily Kristoff didn't see any civilians, which meant that the shelter had held. Fear still hadn't gotten to them.

Elsa stared ahead, expressionless, while she gripped Anna's hand. Kristoff guessed she was passed being beyond sad, and now she just felt numb. That kind of numbness where nothing else in the world can bring you out of your own head. Out of your own grieving. Kristoff knew that feeling all to well. Stian had been his best friend, aside from Sven. Kristoff admitted he may have been feeling numb as well. They continued through the wreckage, pulling element bearers from the rubble every couple of minutes. In a short amount of time, everybody was together. Even Sitna and Asle, which Kristoff guessed would never happen. There were 10 element bearers now. They were missing just two.

"How are we supposed to close the Conduit now?" Kristoff asked. Asle turned around. They all walked in three lines. Looking back, it seemed kind of heroic and epic. At the moment, though, Kristoff was fearing the unknown.

"I don't know. Stian didn't get to pass on his abilities before he died. I don't know what we're going to do. We may just have to face Fear and hope for the best." she shrugged. Elsa's eyes lit up.

"_But he did._"

* * *

"Elsa, I don't know about this." Anna confessed. Elsa carefully took her daughter from Gerda. Kristoff had to admit, Elsa was smart for thinking about this plan, but Kristoff didn't want any harm to come to Neiva.

"No more of this. Nobody else dies today. Understand?" she asked the crowd behind her. The eight nodded. "Come on Neiva... Let's go stop this." Elsa said. They were in the shelter. A solid iron box, about as large as the ballroom, underneath the dungeon of Arendelle Castle. Kristoff hardly saw any signs that the end of the world was going on outside, just a bunch of nervous villagers, looking toward their Queen. A small child approached Elsa, and tugged on her icy dress. Elsa bent over to speak with her.

"Where's the King?" she asked. Elsa shuddered.

"He's still up there. He's protecting all of us." she answered. The girl's eyes lit up, and she ran back to her Mother, telling her all about what Elsa had said. The girl's Mother only looked at Elsa, knowing what had happened. Elsa turned, and opened the small gate on the ceiling. A ladder dropped down. "Who's first?" Elsa asked. Elizabeth, followed by Cassius, Hilda, Yuri, Malva, Sitna, Asle, Anna, Kristoff, and finally Elsa and Neiva. They emerged back into the blinding light of day. Well, it would have been blinding if not for the smoke. Kristoff looked around, but Asle's face caught his eye. She was deep in thought. He approached her, and pulled her to the side.

"What is it?" he asked her.

"Nothing."

"It's something. You'd better not be planning anything." he said, protectively.

"Listen. I think if we defeat fear... I don't know, send him back to Shadowside, then close the Conduit... If he's stuck there forever with nothing to feed on... Things may... Reverse themselves." she admitted slowly.

"Reverse themselves? As in-"

"Shh! I don't know for sure yet. We'll just have to see. First things first is to get Fear back to Shadowside. Then we need to get the people from the Shadowside to Earth. Then we need to close the Conduit with him on the opposite side. Then, to be sure, we need to get rid of everybody's powers." she explained.

"What? Everybody's? What do you mean, 'to be sure?'" Kristoff put his hands on his hips.

"If anybody still has powers, if they somehow force the other element bearers to open the Conduit again after all of this... Fear would return."

Kristoff thought about this. He didn't want to admit it, but Asle was right. Kristoff and Anna could probably live without their powers, but he thought about Elsa. Kristoff couldn't picture her without powers. Her powers were what made her Elsa. Take that away, you've got a Queen. Not that she'd be any less of anything to him, he was worried how Elsa would take it.

"Alright. Let's just get this over with. We need to take Fear down. _Everybody! _Gather around!" he called his friends together. They all gathered around Kristoff and Asle. "Here's what we're going to do..."

* * *

They all wondered into the town square, side by side. Anna stood in the middle of Kristoff and Elsa, with Olaf close in tow. He wasn't missing out on anything. First things first. Find Fear.

"Hey Fear! You hungry?" Asle called. Kristoff saw the telltale shimmer, and there he stood. In front of them, levitating a few feet off the ground, was the pile of bones himself.

"I've fed on much today... I sense no fear here." he observed.

"Nope." Anna confirmed.

"Now!" Hans called from the back of the group. Everybody lifted their palm to the sky, and shot a blast of their element into the air. Ice, stone, fire, energy, darkness and light all combined in a white pillar. The pillar stretched through the smoke cover, and through the clouds above. Just like before, except instead of Anna in the middle, it was Fear's turn. He looked up at Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff. He saw pure hatred in his face.

"Quick! Everybody!" Sitna called. They all gathered in a circle around the Conduit, and focused their powers. Small, glowing lights appeared in each of their hands. Kristoff looked to little Neiva, who had no idea what was going on. Elizabeth extended two hands instead of one. She looked completely drained of any energy. Kristoff couldn't help but feel proud of her, even though he had never gotten to know her. Fear stood in the middle, oddly still. The pillar of light shrank and shark, before disappearing completely, taking Fear with it. The group collapsed, exhausted. Elizabeth went unconscious, and was tended to by Hilda and Cassius. Asle was the first to stand.

"This isn't right..."

"What?" Elsa asked, making sure Neiva was okay. She was.

"Fear. He just... Went. He didn't even put up a fight."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Anna asked. Asle studied the sky.

"No." she pointed. There, hovering just in the atmosphere, close enough to see it, was a chunk of dark Earth. It was large, and getting bigger. A castle stood on top of a hill. At the bottom of the hill sat a small village, and just beyond that was an incredibly thick forest. Kristoff didn't believe it.

The Shadowside.

"What's he doing, Asle?!" Elsa asked Asle, desperate. "What's going to happen?!" Asle thought for a bit.

"Since Fear couldn't have his way with my darkness, it looks like he had to take a more... Literal approach to fusing our two worlds." Asle explained.

"What do you mean?" Hilda asked, glancing up at the expanding island of darkness in the sky.

"I mean there's going to be a big crash. So big, reality will end. Light and darkness literally colliding with one another."

"How long do we have?" Kristoff asked.

"Judging from how fast its growing and getting closer, I'd say... Thirty minutes." Asle bit her lip. If Fear didn't have anything to feed on then, he sure did now. Kristoff broke the silence, and clapped his hands. He tried to sound upbeat.

"Well, now. We all know what comes next?" he asked. Nobody answered. Kristoff looked one last time at what used to be Arendelle. He hoped he'd live to see it again.

"We go to sleep."


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Anna

* * *

Anna woke up in an unfamiliar environment. Stone walls surrounded her on all sides, and red light shown through the stained glass high above her head. She sat up, and yawned. How had she woken up here? A hand entered her vision. Kristoff helped her up, and they stood amongst the remaining element bearers. They were all wide awake, Anna wasn't quite there.

"-We shouldn't split up. That's a good way to killed. There's safety in numbers." Asle said.

Anna noticed Elsa to immediately her right. She almost gripped Neiva. Anna could see the distress in her eyes. She put a hand on her shoulder, and tried to give Elsa her best reassuring smile. Elsa smiled back weakly. Anna knew she'd been through more than any person should have to be through in their lifetime. Elsa looked young, but her eyes were old. No, they weren't wrinkled or aged, but Anna saw years of wisdom and experience behind them. She saw Elsa as a little girl, being cursed with the powers of ice and snow. She saw all the years Elsa spent avoiding people in fear that she might hurt them. She saw the trauma that she'd been through when the Elves had harnessed her powers and used them to hurt Stian. Anna saw it all.

"It'll be okay." Anna said.

"How do you know?" Elsa asked, unsure.

Anna shrugged, "It always works out. We always win, Elsa! We always survive!"

Elsa let out a small breath, and a tiny sad smile appeared on her face. "Those were the days."

"Alright everybody, outside!" Cassius said. He threw the massive doors open, and everybody shuffled out. Anna felt like she was waiting in line for the end of the world. She examined the land around her. At the bottom of the hill they currently stood on, there was a small village. It looked ancient and there was nobody to be seen.

"Oh my god." Asle whispered. Anna looked to her, and saw Asle looking up at the sky. Anna followed her gaze, and her breath was taken straight from her lungs.

There, hovering just close enough to see, was Arendelle. And it was getting closer.

Anna had to describe it as something of a moon. You saw it there, hovering above your own planet, just above the atmosphere. Except this wasn't their planet, this was the shadowside.

"Is that-" Kristoff started to ask.

"Arendelle." Anna confirmed. She realized that Fear had gotten what he had wanted. Arendelle wasn't getting closer, they were. The Shadowside was falling towards Arendelle at who knew how fast. Anna turned to Sitna.

"What do we do?"

"What? Against Fear? Against that?" he asked. Anna nodded. "I don't know. Do you know? I don't know." he said, talking quickly. Anna could tell he was panicking.

"How do we even kill Fear?" Cassius asked.

"_Kill_ Fear? Listen, hothead, you can't just _kill_ Fear. He's an emotion. He's always gonna be around. That's why we needed to trap him here." Sitna explained.

"Well he's already here. Why can't we just close the Conduit and get rid of our powers? That way he'd be stuck here. Forever." Yuri put up a good point.

"And let the people who already live here be stuck here forever with Fear, too? No. We need to get the people out of here. And Fear won't just sit around here for all eternity. We have to trap him somewhere." Asle said. Hilda clapped her hands together.

"I know just the place."

* * *

It was a hut. A well made hut, but a hut none the less.

"Um... How is this place supposed to keep Fear trapped for all time?" Anna asked.

"Because," Hilda shot a look, "It feeds off of elemental power. Cassius and myself have been powering this temple for ages. With just one person harnessing energy and another harnessing fire, we can make this hut into whatever we want. Even a prison. If all of us put all we have into it, all of our power, we could make the most secure cage in the history of time. Nothing would be able to get out, not even Fear."

"If we put _all_ of our power into this, we'd lose them wouldn't we?" Elsa asked.

"Yes. Isn't that the plan?" Hilda questioned.

"It is." Asle interrupted. "Now, all we have to do is figure out how to lure Fear into this temple, and then lock it. Right?"

"Yeah, this should work. How will we find Fear?" Kristoff asked. Everybody waited for somebody to say something. Nobody did. Anna thought. How would she capture Fear?

"The forest." Hans said. Everybody looked to him. He'd been hanging behind the group the whole time. Nobody even knew that he had followed them to the Shadowside. Kristoff smiled.

"Good thinking Hans!"

"What?" Anna asked.

"The forest! Down there!" Kristoff pointed. Pines grew tall, and cast a large shadow over the whole village. "That forest plays off your biggest fears. We need somebody to act as bait, go into the forest, find Fear, and lead him back this way."

"I'll do it." Hans volunteered, stepping foreword.

"Hans? No, it's too dangerous!" Anna said. She stopped herself. She never thought she'd saw those words. Hans looked just as shocked as her.

"Anna. It's either this or the world. Take your choice." he said, glancing up at Arendelle.

Anna crossed her arms. "Fine."

"Alright, the rest of us! We need to find hiding places. Somewhere Fear will never see us." Asle said.

"Underground." Elizabeth said.

"What?" Elsa asked. Within seconds, they were all standing in darkness.

"Wait, what just happened?" Anna asked.

"I had the dirt turn even more fine. We sunk down into the soil. We're about eight feet down. I turned all the soil and dirt around us to stone, so we won't be buried alive. We'll have enough oxygen for about an hour." Elizabeth explained. Anna was surprised at how skilled she was.

"Hans better hurry then." Cassius said, lighting a flame in his palm. Elizabeth was right. They were surrounded by solid stone. It was smooth and damp, and the whole area smelt like mulch. Malva also lighted a flame. Faint, red shadows cast over everybody's face. It looked very grim. Anna tried to look upbeat, but even if this plan worked, Elsa would have to give up her powers...

No.

Anna wouldn't let that happen. Elsa wasn't Elsa without her powers. There had to be another way. Anna felt useless, sitting there. Suddenly, she remembered she wasn't anymore. She snapped her fingers, and a bright orb of white light appeared over her palm. The small cavern was now well lit. Anna wasn't content, but this was her job right now. Just sit. Just wait. Anna couldn't do it.

She hated waiting.


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Hans

* * *

Hans didn't like this. Not one bit. Hans looked to the sky, and saw Arendelle. It slowly closed in, getting ever closer. He knew he'd have to hurry. Hans looked around desperately for some way he could summon fear.

"You don't have to summon me. I've always been with you." said a voice. Hans didn't even have to look behind himself. The skeletal man stood on the edge of the woods.

"Why are you doing this? Your hungry? That's it?" Hans asked, still not turning to face Fear.

"Hunger plays a part in this. You humans, your all flawed. Especially your friends, the ones with powers. The Shadowside is a mirror of your own world. The closer it gets to your world, the more powerful I grow. There is nothing that can be done to stop it. Nobody has that kind of power." Fear said.

"You'd be surprised." Hans spat.

"I wouldn't. Nobody can do that sort of thing. Isn't that right?" he asked. Hans didn't know who he was talking to, until he turned around. Standing beside Fear, still dressed in an icy cloak, was Stian. His cloak was stained red, but his clothes covered what Hans thought was a gaping hole in his chest. Hans gasped. Stian's hair was a messy black, not its usual platinum blond. Something was wrong. Stian said nothing.

"Is he..?"

"You were all wrong. He's not _really_ dead. Well, he is, but that's besides the point. There was one too many ice bearers. I've taken care of that problem. For the moment."

"You've taken away his powers, haven't you?" Hans asked.

"You could say that. I brought him back and healed his injury. For the moment. You see, he still needs to live. You know, when he died before-"

"He's died before?"

"Yes. As I was saying, when he died before, Elsa placed the Precursor artifact you know as the Frozen Heart into him, to... How would you say... Give him that extra push. Not only did the Frozen Heart boost his powers to unimaginable strengths, it also preserved him. It's his life force. I need it."

"You mentioned... The Precursors?" Hans asked. He had no idea what Fear was talking about.

"Yes... They created this as the soul source of the element ice in all of existence. Now it is a life support system for a mortal. I can't have that." Fear explained. Hans still had no idea.

"So you want to extract the Frozen Heart from Stian's heart... And take it for yourself?" Hans examined. "And there's only one person who can do that." Hans felt breath on the back of his neck. Fear had moved, with incredible speed.

"Take me to her."

"Alright, alright. I will." Hans agreed. "I've been waiting for this moment since she and her Sister threw me on that ship, sent me home, and ruined my life. I'll lead you to Elsa." he turned around. Fear did what could only be described as a smile.

"Hatred is one of the strongest emotions." he agreed. Hans turned, heading back to the temple. Fear made Stian levitate, somehow, and followed close in tow. A shard of obsidian manifested in front of Hans' throat. "In case you get any ideas." Hans nodded, admitting he didn't have any ideas at all. Hans began the small climb to the top of the hill, where the temple sat. He hoped that Elizabeth had remembered the signal.

They reached the doorway of the small shelter.

"She's in here." Hans said, moving to allow Fear entry. The skeleton only prodded.

"You go in first." Fear said. Hans felt a bead of sweat on his forehead. He panicked, but came to grips with what was about to happen. What had to happen. He entered the small, dark room. Hans stomped his foot three times. Fear ducked under the doorway, and examined the empty room. Stian still stood emotionless next to Fear. The skull spoke, "Where is-"

The ground all around the hut opened up, and all the element bearers rose from the depths of the earth. Hans would have been exited, if it weren't for his current situation. He saw the red lights in Fear's eyes grow, and the hooded figure dashed for the exit. All of the element bearers faced their palms to the structure, and let out a burst of energy.

With one swift movement, Hans grabbed Fear's hood, and kicked Stian out of the hut. It was a bit rough, but he couldn't be in there for what was about to happen.

"Hans! Come on!" he heard Anna call. Hans extended his grip from Fear's hood, to a full on grasp around his whole body. Hans clasped his eyes shut, and struggled to keep the demon inside the temple.

"Do it!" he called.

"What? Hans, get out of there!" Elsa yelled.

"Elsa! Strike Stian's heart!" Hans called.

"No!" Fear called.

"What?"

"_Just do it! Close the temple!" _Hans screamed. Hans' eyes were shut, but he heard something. He heard it pierce something else, and then gasping. Just like with Anna, Elsa had frozen Stian's heart. Except Fear had told Hans all he needed to know. The Frozen Heart jump -tarted Stian's dying heart. When Stian was killed by Fear, his heart had been impaled and thus, unfrozen. Elsa had just jump-started the jump-starter.

The next thing Hans heard was a massive expel of energy.

"Hans, quick! The door is closing!" Anna called. Hans opened his eyes, and sure enough, the small door was slowly growing smaller. Hans didn't move. He knew if he let go, Fear would get out as well.

"Anna... Listen to me... I'm sorry. About everything." Hans said quietly.

"_Let me go!"_ Fear roared.

"Guys, stop! Hans, don't be! We'll get you out of there!" Anna yelled over the sound of the elements becoming one.

"No. Anna. You- you have to stop this, okay? All of you. Please."

"Hans..?" he heard Stian's weak, raspy voice. Hans grinned, and Fear shook.

"_No! How-?"_

"Shut it, now!" Hans wailed.

"You'll be stuck in there. Forever!" he heard Anna say.

"I know."

"Anna!" Elsa got her Sister's attention.

"We don't just leave people behind, Elsa! Hans, we'll get you out!"

"Anna, this is what he wants." Kristoff said.

"No! I'm not leaving without you, Hans!" Anna cried, apparently still allowing her powers to drain into the temple. She was loosing them, along with Elsa and Stian. Hans opened his eyes, to see Elsa's hair turn dark brown. Stian's was still black, with small streaks of blond from the remnants of his powers. Hans, like Kristoff, would not allow them to lose their powers.

"Elsa! Stian! Stop!" Kristoff called called. The door stopped shrinking.

Hans looked again to Stian. Instead of small streaks of blond hair, now about half of his hair was bright. His powers weren't shrinking. They were growing. Hans smiled. The Frozen Heart.

"No, keep going!" he laughed.

"What? No, they'll lose their powers!" Kristoff argued.

"That's where your wrong, Kristoff."

"What?"

"Stian's heart is frozen." he reminded him. Hans heard Elsa laugh.

"Of course!" she smiled.

"What? No!" Fear realized what was happening. The door was now a minuscule dot of light.

"Hans! I'm sorry." he heard Anna say.

"Don't be!" Hans yelled. The door rumbled intensely now.

"Goodbye." he said quietly, as darkness overtook the room. A small white light appeared around where the doorway once was. They were officially sealed in.

Forever.


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Elsa

* * *

"Elsa! Strike Stian's heart!" Hans reminded her.

"What?"

Elsa waited for a response.

"_Just do it! Close the temple!_" It all clicked in Elsa's head that exact second. The Frozen Heart was the only thing that kept Stian alive. Fear destroyed the Heart. The one thing that would bring the Heart back, would be...

Elsa shifted her beam of energy straight into Stian's chest. He shot back into the structure, and gasped for air. Elsa saw the spark of humanity return to his eyes as they darted around, searching for something. Something was wrong, though. Stian's hair was black. He didn't have his powers. Elsa wanted to find a way to help him, but there was no time. This was their only chance. Stian focused on the shrinking door, and Hans struggling with something on the inside.

"Hans..?" he gasped. Elsa went through it in her mind. Fear impaled Stian's heart, or lack thereof, breaking the Frozen Heart. The Heart was shattered inside of Stian, killing him. Elsa had just done to Stian what she had done to Anna a year ago. She froze his heart. But in this case, instead of freezing his heart, she re-froze the Frozen Heart. She had brought him back.

"_No!_ How-" Fear struggled.

"Shut it now!" Hans yelled. Stian slowly rose to his feet, understanding what was happening. He extended his palm, but nothing happened. No beam of energy, like the other element bearers. Nothing.

"Stian! The energy you see is the raw power of your gift! Just let it go, and channel it at the temple!" Hilda offered Stian advice. He looked to Elsa, unsure. She nodded. He extended his palm again. Nothing. Elsa understood. Judging by the color of his hair, his powers were fading. He had a few streaks of blond in his hair, which showed Elsa how much power he had left. Elsa looked at her own braid. It was slowly turning a dark brown, like her Mother's hair. She was loosing her powers.

"No! I'm not leaving without you, Hans!" Elsa heard Anna call.

"Elsa! Stian! Stop!" she heard Kristoff order. What had gotten into him? This was the plan. Elsa reluctantly obeyed, followed by Stian, whose powers were still weak and fading.

"No! Keep going!" Elsa heard Hans shout.

"What? They'll lose their powers!" Kristoff argued.

"That's where your wrong, Kristoff."

"What?" Kristoff asked, confused.

Elsa heard Hans sigh, "Stian's heart is frozen."

She knew what he meant immediately. She laughed. It was so simple.

Jump-start the jump-starter.

Elsa set Neiva down gently into a small bush behind her. She kissed her child, then rose again. Elsa shifted her palms to face Stian. He took a step back, "Elsa, what are you-"

Elsa unleashed the unbridled energy of her powers straight at her husband. She noticed a blue film over her own eyes, and saw fire growing within Stian's. His hair was now back to completely platinum blond. Elsa checked her braid. So was her own. She stopped, and there was silence. Stian's head drooped, and Elsa couldn't see his eyes.

Slowly, he lifted his head. There, instead of pupils or irises, burned a blazing blue fire.

Raw power.

Stian shifted both of his palms to the temple, and let loose a barrage of energy that could only be described as chilling. Like before, when Stian had killed the spider, the immediate area around them flash-froze. The temperature must have dropped from warm enough to well below freezing. Elsa turned to her Sister. She was nearly crying. Elsa knew that she felt helpless, and wanted to do something to save Hans, even though there was no possible way of saving Hans and locking away Fear. You can't have one without the other.

"Hans, I'm sorry." she said.

Don't be!" Hans yelled. Elsa felt the temple shaking, as if it were making up its mind. It decided to keep two prisoners, for all time. The door was now a minuscule dot, where only a needle could have fit though. That's when Elsa heard the last sentence from Hans that she would ever hear in her life.

"Goodbye."

The door shut.

All the element bearers immediately collapsed to the ground. Their hair had changed colors as well. Instead of strawberry blonde hair, Cassius and Malva's hair was now black and blonde respectively. Elizabeth's went from dark brown to a dirty blonde, while Yuri and Hilda's grey hair remained unchanged. They had all lost their powers. Elsa panicked.

She lifted her single braid to her field of vision.

Platinum blonde.

She nearly cried. She extended her palm, and willed it. Sure enough, a small flurry of snow shot from her palm, making small magical sound as it did.

She still had her powers.

She looked to Stian. Sure enough, his hair hadn't changed from blond. He rolled onto his back, and smiled weakly at Elsa. Elsa pulled Neiva, who had been whimpering in a fluffy bush this whole time, close to her. The Queen shifted her gaze to her Sister and Kristoff. Both held each other, gasping for breath.

"Do you two..?" Elsa asked, in between breaths. Anna extended her palm. Nothing. Kristoff did the same, with the same turn out. They had lost their powers too.

"I knew it would be a temporary thing." Kristoff admitted. "The world needed light bearers, and now it doesn't."

"Wait, what happened to the other elements?" Anna asked. Hilda slowly sat up.

"They're a part o' that temple now. Forever. As long as all six elements stay locked up in there, so will Fear."

"But all six elements _aren't _locked in there." Cassius pointed to Stian and Elsa.

"Did you not see any of that, boy?" Yuri asked. "The amount of energy Stian put into that thing is enough to give the entire world ice powers. It'll be fine." he said. Stian smiled at Elsa, the fire having long gone from his eyes. Elsa felt proud. They had done it. They'd trapped Fear in that prison forever. Although, she couldn't help but feel sad. Hans had sacrificed his life to keep Fear locked up for good. Elsa felt bad for not trusting him, but he had changed her mind.

Hans was a hero. He'd stay that way forever.

The element bearers started rising to their feet. Stian offered Elsa his hand, which she took. They looked at each other, then to Neiva. They couldn't be more accomplished. Without a word, Kristoff, Anna, Stian, Elsa and Neiva all gathered around. They all wrapped their arms around each other, in a big group hug. Elsa didn't want the moment to end.

"Sorry to interrupt your family reunion, but we still have a problem." Cassius barged in.

"What?" Anna asked, mad that he interrupted the hug. Cassius pointed to the sky.

Arendelle was now in clear view. She could see remnants of the Castle, slowly building themselves back up. Kristoff whispered something to himself.

"She was right."

"What?" Elsa asked.

"We defeated Fear. Everything he did is undoing itself." he explained. Stian coughed.

"Everything but this." he said, picking up a handful of dirt. Elsa didn't know what he was going for, until the dirt blew out of his hands. But something was wrong. Instead of blowing to the side, like what it would have done if the wind had blown it, it blew straight up. The dirt flew into the sky, not twirling or dissipating as it went.

"We're still falling towards Arendelle." Stian said. Everybody was quiet, until Elsa piped up.

"What do we do?"

"We need to get everybody out of the Shadowside." Stian explained.

"How?" Kristoff asked.

"Like this." Stian closed his eyes, and breathed. He pressed his palm to the ground. A white circle appeared around his hand, and shot up into the sky. Elsa looked up, and followed the beam with her eyes. Before, when she saw the Conduit, it rose into the sky and eventually disappeared. The link with the Shadowside had been a long way away. Now, looking up, they were less than a mile from colliding with Arendelle. The beam stretched into the sky, before it made contact with the town square in Elsa's Kingdom.

"How did you do that?" Hilda asked.

"'Enough to give the entire world ice powers.' I just channeled that a little bit." he winked. His tone grew serious again, almost immediately. "We need to get the people of the Shadowside into the Conduit and out of harms way, do you understand? Show them to the shelter, with the rest of the Citizens. We don't loose anybody else today."

* * *

Elsa ushered the last of the villagers into the Conduit. She saw them blaze through the large white beam, and emerge on the other side, in Arendelle. Elsa saw the specks, Hilda, Cassius, Yuri, Malva, and Elizabeth escort the last of the people to the shelter. All that remained were Elsa, Stian, Anna, Kristoff and Neiva. Elsa turned to her husband.

"Now what?" she asked.

"We go back to Arendelle and find a way to stop the Shadowside from colliding with Earth."

"How?"

"I don't know."

"Stian-"

"Elsa, we'll figure something out. Anna, Kristoff, get to the Castle. They'll need you there. Elsa... Let's go to the roof." Stian said.

"The roof? Why would we-?"

"Just trust me. You'll know what to do." he promised. Anna and Kristoff hugged Stian and Elsa, and entered the Conduit. Elsa saw her Sister and the Ice Master exit the beam, and make their way to the Castle.

"Come on." Elsa said. She made sure she had a hold of Neiva, and turned to face the Conduit.

"Right behind you." Stian said.

Elsa entered the Conduit. It was like falling, but upwards. She felt her eyes tear up due to the speed, and closed them. Slowly, the feeling stopped. She opened her eyes. She was in the town square. Neiva didn't show the slightest hint about being upset. She looked behind her, awaiting Stian. Nothing. Then she felt her heart shatter. She had trusted him. She promised herself that she was never loosing him again. Now, he'd gone and done it. He was the only one who had enough power to open and close the portal. He had done this himself. What was he thinking?

She screamed as she entered the space where it had once been.

The Conduit had closed, with Stian still on the other side.


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Stian

* * *

He smiled weakly, as he lifted his eyes up to Arendelle. He saw Elsa. He saw her panic, but then saw her stiffen. She looked up, as well. They made eye contact, Stian knew it.

Suddenly, she was off, racing into the self-rebuilding Castle. Stian smiled, and turned around. He nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Ah! Wh- what are you guys doing here?" he asked them. Asle put her hands on her hips. Stian noticed her hair had turned dark brown, like Elsa's mother's. Her blood red eyes were now a shining almond. Sitna's hair was still jet black, but his eyes were now green. They looked like brand new people.

"We know your plan." Asle said. Stian scoffed.

"Phh, what? No... No, you don't." he laughed awkwardly.

"Elsa does too. We're going to help you." Sitna agreed.

"You're going to help me freeze the Shadowside?" Stian asked. Asle and Sitna's jaws both hit the floor.

"You're what?!" Sitna asked, his Scottish accent showing.

"Stian, that's insane!" Asle nodded.

"So you _didn't _know my plan!" he smiled.

"Whatever your plan is, you better get to it! I'd say we have... Ehh..." Sitna looked upwards to Arendelle, "About ten minutes before this whole thing turns into a giant mess of crushed worlds."

"If you don't mind, that was what I was about to do." Stian said, flapping his icy cape as he turned. They stood in the village, just down the hill from the stone castle Stian had woken up in the first time he went to the Shadowside. The highest point in the whole world. Stian began up the hill, headed towards the Castle, devoted to find a way to the roof. It was like one of those old timey castles. It was made completely of stone, and had a giant tower that led into a bigger room. It was small, but large enough for royalty.

"Just because your powers have grown doesn't mean that you can freeze a whole world!" Asle followed him, trying to convince him otherwise.

"It's only, what, thirty miles? Peace of cake." Stian said, unsure.

"Stian, _nobody _is that strong! Not even Asle when she still had her powers!" Sitna tried.

"Hey!"

"Sorry."

"Nothing you can say is going to change my mind. If this plan fails, we all die. If I decide not to go though with this, we all die. If I try to stop the Shadowside, we might live." Stian explained, wiping the sweat from his forehead. Was it getting hotter?

"_Might._" Asle reminded him.

"Might is better than won't."

"Stian!"

"_What?" _he yelled, turning around. Asle wiped sweat from her forehead as well. She really _did_ look like Elsa.

"I'm with you to the end, but... What if this doesn't work?"

"It will." Stian said. He turned, and looked at Arendelle. There was a tinge of... Orange... Were those flames? "We're getting close. Look." he pointed to the flames.

"We're past Earth's atmosphere. Not long now. Not long." Scottish Sitna said.

"Then we'd better get moving." Stian smiled. He reached the castle, and pulled open the two large bronze doors. The inside was just how he remembered it, save for the gathering smoke. Stian looked around desperately for a flight of stairs. There were none.

Asle rolled her eyes, "Just do what Elsa did."

"What?"

"Stairs. I've seen her my whole life. She made stairs from ice one. Do that." she chided.

"How?"

"I don't know, she just kind of..." Asle moved her hands behind her head, as if she were getting ready to push something. She threw her hands foreword, and made a swooshing sound with her mouth. Stian and Sitna were silent.

"She did... That?" Sitna asked.

"Well, you have a better idea?" Asle asked.

"Nope." Stian moved his hands behind his head, and threw his hands foreword. Flurries shot from his palm, and froze solid in midair. A spiral staircase swirled its way up the large room, and burst a hole through the ceiling. Stian shrugged. "Perfect!" The stairs were covered in snow and sharp ice crystals, but as soon as Stian set his foot down, it froze into smooth solid ice. He climbed hastily, with Asle and Sitna in tow. He emerged from the tower, to find thin fire in the skies. They were falling like an asteroid.

"Stand back you two." Stian advised, as he stood in the middle of the large column.

"How are you gonna do this, Stian?" Sitna asked, nervously glancing up at the fiery sky.

"I don't know." Stian's eyes began to glow, blue fire emanating from his irises. Sitna and Asle _did_ back away. Stian stood there for a second, looking to Arendelle. Then, he saw a blue speck on the roof of the Castle. Elsa. She knew exactly what Stian was planning to do. "I'm about to do something pretty insane. If I don't make it though this-"

"Stian-"

"Asle." Stian said. "If I don't want to make it though this, I want you to tell everybody I said thank you for everything. So much."

"Don't say that." Sitna called.

"Here we go."

Stian extended both of his arms out in front of him, palms out. A frost began to gather on his hands, until it turned to a small flurry dancing around his hands. Soon, the flurry commenced into a large snowstorm, all of it dancing around Stian. He noticed Asle and Sitna had to hold on to something to keep from being blown from the tower. Stian shrugged, and increased his powers.

Soon, calling what surrounded the top of the tower a snowstorm was an extreme understatement. Icicles grew up from the floor, and hung down from the ledges of the castle. Stian saw that the two others had retreated into the castle. He didn't blame them. He increased his powers still, allowing all of his will into making an uncontrolled snowstorm. It was pretty much snow-pocalypse.

Stian looked to Arendelle once more, and saw much of the same thing, but to a lesser extent. Elsa's full extent of powers raged atop Arendelle Castle. She was ready. So was Stian.

He brought his hands together, into a large fist. He then sighed, and placed his palms to the ground.

The temperature would have killed anybody within the first mile of him instantly. They would have flash frozen, and shattered due to the wind. Luckily, the tower held, and Sitna and Asle remained inside. The large flurry of ice and snow traveled across all of the Shadowside, like a giant wave. Everything in its wake froze completely solid. Stian was sure. He did it again, sending another wave across the Shadowside. This time, everything became coated with a solid three feet of ice. Stian looked to Arendelle, and saw a massive icy spire protruding from the top of Arendelle Castle. Elsa knew.

Stian surveyed his surroundings. He nodded, deciding everything was frozen pretty well through. He extended his arms to Arendelle, and let loose one more blast of ice. Another large spire of ice, this time coming from his own palms, skyrocketed towards Earth.

"Come on." he gritted his teeth. If he had planned this right, everything would be okay. If he was off by even a fraction of an inch, the universe would end. No big deal. Stian waited. He had to get this right.

He had one chance.


	45. Chapter 45

Sorry this chapter took so long, you guys! I got some writers block for this scene, so I went to writing another Frozen Short Story that you guys may like. It will be out soon, so keep an eye out.

I've kept you waiting long enough, here's Chapter 45!

* * *

Chapter 45

Sitna

* * *

It looked extremely heavy. Sitna wished there was something he could do, but he was too busy getting early stages of hypothermia. He and Asle held each other for warmth as the air around them dropped significantly below freezing.

"Sorry, Sitna... About everything." Asle whispered in his ear. Sitna was shocked. He thought about this for a while.

"I- Look, Asle. It's not going to be easy to forgive you. You killed everybody who mattered to me. I know it wasn't _you_, but it was still Asle. That's going to take a while." Sitna confessed, yelling.

"It's got to start somewhere." Asle said. Stian gazed deeply into her eyes. He'd never seen them like that before. Deep, and brown. Sitna didn't know why... He saw a whole new person. He leaned in, still gazing into her eyes. Asle closed her eyes, and Sitna followed. He kept leaning until their foreheads were touching.

"It's got to start somewhere." Sitna agreed.

A large quake shook the tower. Asle and Sitna both looked up, where Stian stood. A large pillar of ice hovered just above his palms, and reached high into the sky. Upon getting a better view, Sitna saw that it reached to Arendelle, where an identical pillar collided with Stian's. Elsa had done it.

"Stian!" Sitna called. He didn't budge. The weight he was carrying looked immense.

"Stian! Go!" Asle yelled. His vision turned to the two. He looked hurt.

"How?" he mouthed.

"Jump." Sitna said, calmly. If he had planned this right, they should just be close enough for Arendelle's gravity to take hold. Stian rolled quickly out from under the column, and jumped. Nothing happened. He needed to get higher. Sitna and Asle joined him on the roof.

"What do we do?" Stian yelled, the fire in the sky becoming more apparent. Sitna looked at the pillar.

"Climb!" he instructed, grabbing hold of one of the jagged edges of the column. It was so cold. He ignored the pain, and began to climb. The two pillars were acting as a bar between to colliding forces. It kept Arendelle at one end, and the Shadowside at the other. Sitna looked down, to see Asle below him, followed by Stian. He heard an earth-shattering crack. The column fell a few feet.

"This isn't going to last for long!" Stian called. "Climb!"

Sitna didn't need to be told twice. Soon, he felt the wind shift. They were getting closer. They needed to climb higher. The closer they got to Arendelle, the thinner the beam became. This wasn't going to hold for long at all. He soon saw the clothes around this body shift. If was like he was standing over a giant fan. He knew what that meant. He released his grip on the icy spire.

Sitna fell up. He didn't know how to explain it, but soon he was falling up. Even sooner, he was falling down again. He squeezed his eyes shut, and landed on a tiled roof. He opened his eyes.

"Sitna!" Elsa called, running to him. "Where's Stian and Asle?" she asked. Sitna couldn't breathe, but he pointed. They were still climbing. "How long do we have?" she asked.

"Maybe a minute. Maybe a few seconds. Somewhere in between." he said, coughing. Elsa looked up, hoping that she would be reunited with her husband. The Shadowside was now nearing Arendelle. All around them, light seeped out of the world. It was dusk all around them.

Asle was the first to let go, as she tumbled towards Arendelle. She landed in the same spot Sitna did. Well, she would have if Sitna hadn't caught her.

"Hey! Thanks..." Asle said. Sitna couldn't get over her eyes. So human. So sincere. Stian fell next, landing hard on his back. He groaned, and coughed. Elsa cupped his head in her arms.

"Stian! You're insane! How are we gonna stop this?" she asked, very un Queen-like.

"I already did. I hope." Stian grinned, standing up. He looked up. The shadowside was only about fifty meters from colliding with the top of the castle.

"How?" Asle asked. Stian looked at her like it was obvious.

"Didn't you see what Elsa did at the end of the Great Thaw? Didn't you see what I did when I defeated the spider- wait no. No you didn't. Well, I did this." he smiled. Stian put his hands into the air, and lifted his palms. The frost and ice all around the Shadowside began to come together around it. Elsa smiled, and joined. The icy landscape soon became dark, as the cold material gathered into a colossal snowflake. Sitna could feel the cold.

"Ready?" Elsa asked.

"Ready." Stian answered. The two moved their open hands down to their shoulders, and pushed up. The snowflake pressed against the landscape of the Shadowside. Sitna saw it slowly rise.

"Hey-" he smiled.

"Now." Stian said. They opened their palms. The snowflake turned into thousands of tiny ice crystals. They lifted their palms even more. The ice crystals shot upwards, propelling the Shadowside higher into the air. The two icy columns collapsed, and fell towards their respective worlds. Stian took one of his hands from the air, and caught the ice spire in mid-fall. He converted the pillar into crystals too, and sent them rocketing at the Shadowside, further propelling it into space.

"One... More..." Elsa grunted. They both pushed with all their might, and the Shadowside shot into the sky, disappearing. Sitna felt the air cool down immensely.

"You used ice to-" Asle began. Stian and Elsa both collapsed to the ground.

"To propel the Shadowside back into outer space, yes. We did." Stian answered.

"Where did you come up with that?" she asked.

"You know how I said I had a plan?" Stian asked.

"Yeah?"

"I didn't."

Elsa and Stian held each other. They gazed into each others eyes, lovingly. The family was back together. Sitna averted his gaze as they shared a passionate kiss. His gaze fell straight to Asle.

"Well... We're here." she said.

"Earth. Forever, huh?" he asked.

"Seems like it." she laughed. Sitna looked into her, oh so human, eyes.

"Well, I guess that means we need to... You know... Start lives and become... You know... People and... You know-"

"Oh come here." Asle laughed, as she pulled Sitna in for a kiss.

He didn't object.


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Asle

* * *

They went to the shelter, where all of Arendelle's civilians sat huddled in a circle, terrified of what may happen. Anna and Kristoff sat by the door. When light flooded the room, they looked to the four standing in it. They nodded. Anna squealed with joy, and leapt up to hug her Sister. Kristoff tenderly held Neiva in his arms, and passed her to Stian.

"You... Did it?" he asked.

"Yeah." Stian breathed.

"How?"

"Lots of ice." Elsa laughed.

"Everything is safe now?" a Mother asked. Asle shook her head.

"I have one more thing to do."

"What?" Elsa asked.

"I'm coming with you." Sitna offered.

"No. I need to do this alone." she said.

"I'm not leaving you." he took her hand. Asle showed him her best smile. Ever since she had lost her powers, the voices were gone. Her head was... Peaceful. She could think. She didn't have Fear constantly screaming at her to do his will. He was gone. She loved it. She was human again.

Asle left the opening of the shelter, and strode to the palace gates. Soldiers from Briarvale were ready to ram them down. Asle stood in the watchtower directly above them.

"Stop." she said softly. Surprisingly, all the Soldiers did. They stared straight ahead, unblinking.

"What are they doing?" Sitna asked.

"Kind of what Fear did to Stian and I. Nothing. The voice in their head told them to stop."

"Are you the voice?"

"Not for long." Asle reassured him. "Listen to me! What I have done to you is wrong. Everything I have done is wrong. Please, live your lives the way you did before all this. Go back to your families. Go back to your friends, go back to your lives."

A few soldiers shook their heads, looking around confused. They dropped their weapons immediately, and scratched their respective chins.

"You were controlling them." Sitna observed.

"I know. I was wrong. I'm going to fix this now." Asle nodded. "You all were told lies. Arendelle is not a threat. The King and Queen pose no threat to your Kingdom. Please, forgive me."

The rest of the soldiers dropped their weapons. They looked up at Asle, and started murmuring to each other.

"How do we know we're not still under your spell? Hm?" one yelled in a cockney accent.

"You don't. That's why I need you to trust me. I have no powers. I cannot control you anymore. I can only release you. Please, trust me." Asle pleaded. A few mumbled, and began shuffling away from the Castle. A large man in the front of the group yelled up to Asle.

"We'll return home... If anything like this ever happens again-!"

"I know. It won't." Sitna promised.

* * *

"How did you do it?" Elsa asked, clapping her hands. "The troops from Briarvale are leaving peacefully!"

"I just... Persuaded them." Asle said. Elsa narrowed her eyes. "They were happy to leave."

"I hope so." Elsa sipped her tea. For the first time ever, the two women sat alone in the war room. It was completely silent aside from the ticking cuckoo clock on the wall. Elsa exhaled, and steam poured from her mouth. Asle couldn't help but giggle. "Ah, this? It happens every time I drink something hot."

"No kidding?"

"So... What are you and Sitna planning on doing since all of this is behind you?" Elsa asked, again sipping her tea.

"I don't know." Asle's eyes widened. "Do you think the world would be able to handle two Elsa's?" Asle asked. Elsa frowned.

"Asle, you need to know something. _You are not me._ You're your own person. Your brilliant, beautiful, and kind. Pity I didn't see that when I first met you. Back when Fear did... That... To Stian, I got so angry at you. I'm sorry."

"No, you were right. It _was_ my fault. I brought Fear back, and I couldn't see everybody who had supported me all through my life stop caring. Sitna was my best friend. I think... I like to think... If I wasn't cursed by Fear... We'd end up a lot like you and Stian. Happy. Maybe even married. I've always loved him." Asle admitted.

"And he's always loved you. Trust me. You can see it in his eyes." Elsa smiled. Asle smiled back. They sat in silence for a while.

"We'll be leaving." Asle said.

"Where?" Elsa asked.

"I don't know. America? I heard it's nice there."

"I met that Van Buren man a few weeks after the Great Thaw. He seemed nice enough." Elsa said.

"Is he their King?"

"Their President."

"Their what?"

"Never-mind."

The two laughed. Elsa shook herself.

"Oh, but you absolutely _have_ to stay for the party!"

"What do you mean?" Asle asked. She had no idea what Elsa was talking about.

"A party. You know? All your friends come together, and you have fun."

"Friends?"

"Oh... You've... You've never had a party before, have you?" Elsa asked, shocked.

"I don't have any friends." Asle shrugged. Elsa looked determined. She stood up, and walked to Asle. She offered her hand, and helped Asle up. The two stood side by side, and opened up the War Room doors.

"You do now." Elsa answered.


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Asle

* * *

Anna knew what a party looked like, and boy was this a party.

Villagers and royalty alike all danced together, and everybody was happy. Anna laughed as she ended her dance with a star-struck teenage boy, and something caught her eye. She excused herself, and went to Asle in the corner of the room. She looked completely different, with brown hair and brown eyes. He skin wasn't pale at all anymore, in fact, she looked almost tan.

"Hey, Asle."

"Anna! Fun party, huh?" Asle asked, nervously.

"Who have you danced with so far?" Anna asked. Asle felt her palms.

"Nobody."

"Nobody? Asle, you have do dance with somebody! Look!" Anna pointed. Sitna slowly lead Elsa around the room, guiding her around, and dipping her every now and then. They danced like old friends. Anna though perhaps, in another world, they were. "You _have to_ dance! It's fun. Here." Anna took her hand, and led her to Stian, who stood by the throne. "Stian, Asle would like this dance." Anna giggled. Stian rocked Neiva slowly in his arms. He grinned, and gave his child over to Anna. Stian smiled, without a word, and held out his hand.

Asle took it, and away they went. She kept stealing glances at Sitna and Elsa, who were now dancing quickly and expertly to the music. Asle stumbled here and there, and Stian laughed.

"Sorry." she apologized.

Stian scoffed, "Nonsense, you're amazing." he said, twirling her about. Asle's new dress, a purple one that looked exactly like Elsa's when she was coronated the Queen of Arendelle. It flew around her ankles, twisting every which way.

"Ready?" Stian asked. Asle looked up to him. His eyes were still a deep blue. He still had his powers.

"For what?" she laughed.

"This." Stian tossed her in such a fashion that she flew from his hands, and landed right into Sitna's. Surprised, she looked back to Stian. He now held his wife.

"May I have this dance?" Sitna asked, bowing.

"Of course." Asle breathed. He took her hands, and led her through the ballroom. The music had changed to a slower, more romantic tune. Asle scanned the room, and saw Anna dancing with Kristoff, Elsa dancing with Stian, and Olaf riding Sven around wildly. Asle didn't mind it. The music's tempo slowed, as it slowly came to an end. She gazed deep into Sitna's eyes. He was different now. He hadn't changed a bit, aside from his hair and eye color. Sitna leaned in, and the two shared their second kiss. She was surprised when the entire room applauded. She turned, and bowed along with Sitna. A small girl slowly and timidly approached Asle, and tugged on her gown. She couldn't have been older than six.

"You-you're pretty Queen Elsa..." she said timidly. Asle looked at Sitna, and giggled. She bent over, and picked the child up.

"Thank you. But I'm not Elsa-"

"Are you her other Sister?" she asked. Asle assumed she didn't mean Anna.

"Y- Yeah. I guess you could say that we're Sisters." Asle stuttered. Elsa took a spot next to her.

"Of course we are." she smiled. The little girl scrambled down from Asle's arms, and bowed awkwardly.

"Your Mat-jist-y" she spoke slowly. Elsa laughed, and crouched so she was eye to eye with the girl.

"What's your name?" Elsa asked.

"My Mommy calls me Poppy."

"Poppy? Like the seed, huh? Well listen here Poppy." Elsa leaned in close, and whispered in her ear. "Do you like snow?" Elsa asked. Poppy nodded vigorously. "Well lucky for you, I can make it snow. You wanna see?" she grinned. Poppy nodded again. Elsa stood up, and made a small snowball between her hands.

"Ready?" Elsa asked. Poppy nodded.

For some reason, Asle felt a tear in her eye. Like she was reliving old memories. Elsa threw the ball up into the air, and it exploded into millions of tiny snowflakes. Poppy jumped for joy, and caught the snowflakes. Asle jerked, and noticed Anna was standing next to her grinning.

"She's so cool." Anna said. Asle giggled. "What?"

"Cool." Asle reminded her. Anna jokingly shoved her. For once in her life, Asle didn't want this moment to end. Then it did, but she didn't object. She felt Sitna take her hand. She looked back at him.

"Stian told me about this really cool place. Wanna go see it?" he asked.

"Do I?" Asle jumped, and Sitna led her through the castle's winding hallways, until they reached a large, cylindrical room. There was a small ladder laid against the wall. Sitna stabled it, and started climbing. Asle was happy to oblige, and began climbing as well. The couple emerged into the moonlight. They were atop the Arendelle Castle. The aurora showed green and blue against the night sky. It wasn't red anymore. Asle smiled, as she sat down on the wooden room. Sitna sat down next to her, and put his arm around her. The two gazed up at the lights dancing in the sky.

Asle's life had changed so quickly. She had gone from Fear's puppet to a normal, powerless human being. But upon loosing her powers, she had gained something even better.

"Asle... I can't believe that only five days ago, we were hunting you down to stop you. Now..." Sitna's voice wandered off. Asle looked up at him.

"Now what?" she asked.

Sitna sighed, "I don't know. What do we do now?" he asked, turning to Asle. She planted a small kiss on his mouth.

"We go on with our lives. Whatever that is." she guessed.

"I think... No, never mind." he shooed the question away.

"You think what?" she persuaded. Sitna didn't speak. "What, Sitna?" she prodded. Sitna looked back at her.

"I think we should spend them together." he said.

Asle felt her heart flutter. All the pure rage that she had felt for him before must have turned into raw, unbridled love. "Oh... My..." she breathed.

"Sorry. It was- I was being... Haha..." he stammered nervously. Asle smiled at him, shyly.

"Sitna... You're right." she said. He stopped stammering, and looked at her. They shared one more kiss, this time it was passionate. Asle couldn't be more happy.

Her life was complete.


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Stian

* * *

The party was going swimmingly. Sitna and Asle hadn't been seen for a few hours, so who knew what they were up to. The clock struck midnight, and Stian didn't even feel tired. He looked to Elsa, who was sitting tiredly on her throne. She yawned into her hand, and almost nodded off. Kristoff rocked Neiva daughter in his arms, having decided to watch her while Elsa and Stian went about thanking the citizens for their bravery.

Stian looked to the crowds for Anna, Olaf and Sven. Anna was near the back of the crowd, socializing with Olaf, whilst talking through Sven, like Kristoff often did.

"Elsa." Stian said. Elsa snorted, and stiffened.

"Hm?" she asked, dazed.

"Some party, huh?"

"Party?" she yawned. Stian looked back to the clock.

"You're exhausted." he observed. Elsa shook her head, and tried to fix her hair.

"I'm fine..."

"You need some rest."

"Stian, I'm-" she yawned again, "Fine."

"Alright, come on." He took Elsa in his arms, and carried her back to their room. He could have sworn she fell asleep in his arms, as she didn't say a whole word on the way up. Stian laid her down on the bed, took her crown from her head, and removed her gloves. Yep, she was asleep. He didn't blame her, she'd had a rough week.

"Goodnight, Snow Queen." he kissed her forehead. He felt a cold hand against his neck.

"What did you call me?" Elsa laughed.

"Elsa. I called you-" she interrupted him with a kiss. After a few seconds, they pulled away.

Elsa smiled at her best friend, "Good night."

"Good night." he answered, as he slowly left the room. He closed the door quietly behind him, and decided it was time to party.

* * *

Three hours and a few cups of glogg later, Stian was wandering about the throne room. People kept stopping him and asked to see his powers, to see if he really _was_ like Queen Elsa.

"Alright, alright, alright... Everybody... To the garden! Follow... Me!" he said, slurring a few words together. He was stopped by Kristoff.

"Stian, you okay?" he asked.

"Fine." Stian smiled. Kristoff examined his face.

"Hold on." Kristoff left for a few seconds, and came back with a bowl full of water.

"What's that?" Stian mumbled. Kristoff lifted the bucket over Stian's head, and tipped it. Stian's vision instantly cleared, and he had a sense of what he was doing. He was a bit angry now, though.

"What was that for?" he asked, sopping wet.

"You're welcome. No more glogg for you, huh?" Kristoff asked. Stian didn't know what he meant at first, but then realized. He nervously let out a laugh, and patted Kristoff's shoulder.

"Guess I just got a little exited, huh? I've never had glogg before."

"You were going to show them your powers?" Kristoff asked, motioning to the door. Many of the citizens waited outside.

"Right!" Stian clasped his hands together. He left the throne room, and entered the garden. Anna was already out there, cuddling and tickling Neiva.

"How's Aunt Anna treating you, good?" Stian asked, as he approached the two Princesses.

"When you guys said she looks like Elsa, you weren't kidding. It's _really_ apparent now." Anna laughed.

"I guess it is." Stian smiled.

"Your Majesty?" one of the villagers asked. Stian remembered. He was to put on a show.

"Where's the Queen?" somebody else asked.

"Sleeping. Shh." Stian said jokingly, moving his index finger over his mouth. A few laughed. "Now, who wants some cold fireworks?" Stian asked.

"Iceworks?" Anna suggested.

Stian laughed. She was clever. "Iceworks." he agreed. Stian formed a huge snowball in between his palms, about three feet around. "Alright everybody. It's about to get a little frigid." he lobbed the snowball into the air, and it quietly erupted into smaller snowballs. These erupted into smaller and smaller ice crystals, eventually turning to snow. The people applauded. Stian was proud of his chain reaction.

"Very talented!" somebody commented.

"Beautiful!" another added. Stian felt satisfied with himself. He leapt up onto a small planter.

"Now, as your King-" he began.

"Consort." somebody reminded him.

"Whatever. As King _Consort, _I'm declaring war." he said sternly. The garden, quieted down immediately.

"What? Against who, Your Majesty?" a man asked, looking genuinely scared. Stian kept his concentration.

"Against all of you."

"What?" the crowd gasped. Kristoff approached the planter.

"Stian what are you-?"

"Gotcha!" Stian laughed, as he sent the snowball he'd been hiding behind his back right into Kristoff's face. "Sweet revenge!" he said, triumphantly. He waved his arms, and a blue fire covered his eyes. A good two feet of snow spread across the garden. "_Snowball fight!_" he shouted, hopping down from the planter. People squealed with joy as they began an all out snowball fight. Stian was rushing to make another snowball, when something caught his eye.

In the sky, there were five stars. Now, Stian had seen the stars before, but these were different. They moved, forming an "X" in the sky. The closer Stian looked, the more he could make out. These were closer than stars, and had a black, belt-like, border going around their equator. They gave off two solid beams of light, one from the top of the sphere and the other from the bottom. The beams of light contorted in the sky, forming curving lines. It was some sort of language...

"Stian?" Anna asked, entering his field of view.

"Huh?" Stian shook his head, clearing it.

"What are you looking at?" she asked, turning her head in the direction he was looking.

"There were some weird things in the-" he looked back to where his eyes had been before. They were gone. All five of them had disappeared from the sky. "What?" he whispered to himself.

"Come on! We're not finished yet!" Anna called, forming a snowball in her hands. Stian's gaze remained on the night sky.

"But they were just here..."

A snowball collided with his cheek. Anna giggled, and disappeared into the crowd. Stian rushed into the crowd after her, but stopped when he saw somebody.

This man was taller than the villagers by a few feet at least. He looked as if he were a reflection in water, hanging in midair. His skin was tinted gold, and he wore stunning white clothing. He had a beaked hood that obscured his face, so Stian couldn't make out anything about the man. He stared directly at Stian.

"Hey..." Stian began towards the man. He looked calmly to his left, and shook his head 'No', as if he were having a conversation with somebody.

And as fast as he had appeared, he was gone.

Stian studied his surroundings, but nobody else had seemed to notice the man. He found Kristoff in the crowd.

"Hey, Kristoff, did you see anybody just leave?" he asked. Kristoff looked around, confused.

"...No? Did anybody leave, Anna?" he asked the Princess. Anna grasped Neiva in one arm, and a snowball in the other.

"No. Did you?" she asked.

"Never mind. I... I think I'm going to go see Elsa." Stian shook his head, and relived Anna of his daughter.

* * *

He walked the dark hallways trying to think things over. Was he just seeing things? Who knows. Oh well.

He opened the door, and found Elsa sleeping quietly. She was now in her nightgown, with her hair down. It cascaded over her pillow like a sea of white ribbon. Stian removed his shirt, and lay down in bed beside her, with Neiva in between them. He stared at the ceiling.

If there was one thing this whole experience had taught Stian, it's that tomorrow was always a new day. Whenever you think things couldn't get worse, they could. But there was light. Something that, ironically Asle of all people had taught him, was that there was light even in the darkest places. You just had to find that light.

He turned, and looked at the Queen. She had a small smile on her face. He relaxed, and let sleep take him.


End file.
